Igwe Gerald Obunadike Mbamalu, the traditional ruler known as Eze Oranyelu I, Eze Ojoto III in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, has shared his perspective on the Nigerian minimum wage debate. He believes that while increasing the minimum wage is important, the larger focus should be on how the country's economy is managed.
Mbamalu stressed the significance of considering the private sector in wage discussions, as many workers in Nigeria are employed in sectors that sustain themselves without much government assistance.
Mbamalu questioned the viability of businesses in Nigeria and emphasized that the issues faced by workers extend beyond minimum wage concerns. He called upon the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to take a broader view and evaluate the economic landscape when determining wages.
According to Mbamalu, the core issue lies in the economic mismanagement rather than just the minimum wage problem.
In an interview with The Sun, Mbamalu said, "When you talk about the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), you are talking about Nigerian workers. Now, you ask yourself, what is the percentage of the organised labour when compared to the population of Nigeria? What percentage of the organised labour is in the private sector? How is the private sector surviving? How are industries and companies surviving in Nigeria? Because they have no subvention from government, so how are they surviving? So, when the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) talks about minimum wage, they should also include their counterparts in the private sector. Yes, everybody knows that what is obtainable as salary is nothing to write home about compared to the state of the economy. Our problem is not minimum wage; our problem is that the economy is not managed properly."