The United States has stated that Nigeria’s recently approved ₦70,000 minimum wage for federal workers has been undermined by the persistent fall of the naira.
In its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2024, released on August 12 by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour, the US noted that the wage — equivalent to about $47.90 per month — had been diminished by the exchange rate, with the naira trading at more than ₦1,500 to the dollar.
The report further highlighted that companies with fewer than 25 employees were exempted from the wage law, thereby excluding a large portion of Nigeria’s workforce.
Quoting the document:
“The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024 doubled the minimum wage to 70,000 naira ($47.90) per month. Despite the increase, currency devaluation meant the minimum wage was no longer higher than the poverty income level. Many employers had fewer than 25 employees, so most workers were not covered.”
Weak Enforcement & Informal Sector
The report stated that some states refused to enforce the wage law due to financial difficulties, while enforcement remained weak at the federal level. Penalties for violations were described as “low and not commensurate with other crimes such as fraud.”
It added that 70–80% of Nigeria’s workforce is in the informal sector, where wage, hour, and safety laws are largely ignored.
Children’s Rights
The report also flagged ongoing issues with child marriage. While federal law sets the minimum marriage age at 18, some states — particularly in the north — continue to allow marriages for girls as young as 11 under customary or religious law.
Insecurity & Justice Delivery
The US report raised concerns about:
- Enforced disappearances and unlawful detentions (including young men detained at SARS Awkuzu since 2020, whose fate remains unknown).
- Abuse of arrest powers by security forces.
- Prolonged pretrial detention, sometimes longer than the maximum sentence for the alleged crime.
- Lack of vehicles to transport detainees to court, lost case files, and corruption within the judicial system.
It concluded that Nigeria’s justice delivery remains hampered by trial backlogs, corruption, political influence, and bureaucratic inertia.
