Nigeria's employers' representative body has rejected bilateral wage negotiations between government and organised labour, demanding that any minimum wage review follow the tripartite model that includes all three social partners. The Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association (NECA), a member of the Organised Private Sector, said negotiations must involve government, workers and employers as equal partners to comply with international labour standards. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, NECA's Director-General, said ongoing bilateral talks between the government and organised labour breached the globally recognised principle enshrined in multiple International Labour Organisation conventions.
The tripartite arrangement is rooted in ILO instruments including the Minimum Wage Fixing Convention of 1970, the Minimum Wage Fixing Recommendation of 1970 and the Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery Convention of 1928. Oyerinde stressed that these conventions require the participation of the most representative employers' body and workers' organisation in minimum wage determination. He said NECA recognises workers' legitimate concerns about rising costs of living and declining purchasing power, and respects the right of government and labour to hold discussions. However, he insisted that the rules governing how a national minimum wage is determined are fundamental and non-negotiable.
While NECA says it is not opposed to reviewing the minimum wage, the association stressed that any process must be inclusive, transparent, evidence-based and aligned with relevant ILO conventions. Oyerinde noted that any credible wage determination must consider the cost of living, worker welfare, productivity, enterprise sustainability, ability to pay, employment generation and retention, and prevailing economic conditions. He highlighted that Nigerian businesses face significant operational challenges including high energy costs, inflation and expensive borrowing, making these factors especially critical to consider.
NECA also expressed alarm at threats of industrial disruption linked to the wage discussions, warning that such action at a time when businesses are recovering from economic challenges could endanger enterprise survival, employment security and investor confidence. The association called for constructive social dialogue, mutual respect and the use of established lawful dispute-resolution mechanisms to preserve industrial harmony. Oyerinde added that while NECA may not be party to agreements reached without its participation, employers remain obligated to comply with any national minimum wage validly established under the National Minimum Wage Act.
For employers and workers, the dispute over wage-setting procedures matters because negotiations that exclude one side risk creating agreements that lack buy-in from businesses responsible for implementation or that ignore economic constraints affecting job creation.