Press Release: All Those Found Guilty in Osborne Towers Scandal Will Be Sanctioned – President Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja said all those found culpable in the Osborne Towers scandal will be made to account and appropriately sanctioned.
Receiving a report of the panel established to review the operational, technical and administrative structure of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), President Buhari described the discovery of monies in the flat at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, in April this year, as an ‘‘unfortunate incident which rightly aroused public interest and outcry.’’
‘‘All the circumstances surrounding the obtaining, keeping custody and disbursement of the funds have been examined by the Vice President’s Committee and all those found to be culpable will be made to account and appropriately sanctioned.
‘‘However, it must be understood that this cannot be done in a manner that jeopardises national security or exposes the operations of any intelligence Agency, which must, by nature be conducted in secrecy.
‘‘Suffice it for me to assure all that justice will be done consistent with our anti-corruption policies,’’ the President said.
President Buhari, while commending the Presidential Review Panel on NIA led by Amb. Babagana Kingibe, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, for completing their assignment expeditiously, expressed the hope that the recommendations of the panel and that of an earlier Committee headed by the Vice President to look into the Osborne matter will assist Government in improving the operations of the NIA and the overall National Security architecture.
‘‘Your Panel’s recommendation, informed as they are by your collective experience and expertise in this field, should in particular help to reposition the NIA to better perform its vital functions with greater professionalism.
‘‘The Osborne Tower incident and its aftermath has also brought to the fore the need to review the entire National Security Architecture, which has now been in operation as established 31 years ago.
‘‘Once again, I thank you very much for undertaking this national assignment, ’’ he said.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was present at the presentation of the report by the panel which has Chief Albert Horsfall, Amb. Zakari Ibrahim and Amb. Ezekiel Oladeji, as members.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)
December 19, 2017
Speech: President Buhari’s Address at the International Climate Change Summit in Paris
I would like to thank His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic of France, the United Nations Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank Group for convening this high-level Summit on the issues of financing climate actions and aligning financial flows in order to reach the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
The adverse impacts of climate change such as temperature rise; erratic rainfall, sand storms, desertification, low agricultural yields, drying up of water bodies like Lake Chad, gully erosions and constant flooding are a daily reality in Nigeria. This reality is most felt by the highly vulnerable communities who lack the capacity to cope.
Excellencies
Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, we have been strengthening our national efforts towards the implementation of the Agreement and the Marrakech Call for Action. We have already ratified the Paris Agreement in May 2017 and, thus, we have pledged, under the Nationally Determined Contribution to reduce our emission by 20% by 2020 and 40% by 2030.
In our efforts to deliver on these pledges, we are tightening the existing governance structure in Nigeria for more effective implementation of climate change activities, including the additional responsibilities that are consequent on the adoption of the all-encompassing climate change treaty.
In collaboration with the European Union, we have also developed a robust National Monitoring, Reporting and Verification framework to meet the Agreement’s requirements. Further, Nigeria has developed the Sectoral Implementation plans for some priority sectors; namely: Oil and Gas sector, Agriculture and Land use, Power, and Industrial Energy Efficiency. For each of these sectors, we have assessed and selected key policies and measures that would enable the country to meet its commitments based on their cost effectiveness, poverty reduction and mitigation, and job creation potential.
We have considered the feasibility of implementation, potential to deliver short-term results, gender and social inclusiveness, enhancing healthy environment and minimal impact on land use and deforestation, as well as environmental benefits.
Actualising these plans over the next 15 years, Nigeria on its own will achieve 20% emissions reduction below Business As Usual. With international support, we can achieve 45% emission reduction by 2030.
Excellencies
Nigeria recognizes that ensuring sustainable funding is a major constraint in efforts to implement the Nationally Determined Contribution. To respond effectively to climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges, critical mass of financial resources beyond what we can provide from our national resources will be required.
We have embraced the issuance of the green bond as an innovative and alternative source of projects funding that would help reduce emissions and provide robust climate infrastructure, such as renewable energy, low carbon transport, water infrastructure and sustainable agriculture in line with the Paris Agreement.
But we cannot do this alone. While we have ambitious plans, having just come out of recession, we are under no illusion of the challenges that we face in Nigeria. Recalling that the success of COP21 was hinged on the strategic“$100 billion by 2020”, it is therefore pivotal for countries like Nigeria for the promise be kept if we are to meet our Nationally Determined Contribution obligations. Simply, we cannot implement our Nationally Determined Contribution without adequate financial, technical and capacity building support from the developed countries.
And this support must be sustained on a long term basis. The changes that Nigeria, and other developing countries need to make cannot be undertaken overnight. Indeed, we require some fundamental restructuring of our economy. In this process, technology will be a powerful tool to simultaneously address climate change and advance development.
In Nigeria, Government is actively promoting technologies and practices such as sustainable land management, climate resilient agriculture, water efficiency, clean energy, and skills for reducing greenhouse gas emissions among others. Sustaining these efforts will also require external support.
We need to accelerate Research and Development on facilitating Access to Climate Friendly Technologies, through technology pooling and collective approach to financing Research and Development, regulating restrictive practices in licensing agreements and anti-competitive uses of Intellectual Property and International Declaration on Climate Technologies.
In Nigeria, we are looking at insurance-based proposals to deal with loss, damage and adaptation to the poor, vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups. Risk mitigation through insurance must benefit those groups who currently have negligible access to any form of indemnity coverage. Vulnerable groups will also benefit from new technologies and ways to make insurance schemes affordable, including through long term premium support.
In the circumstances, Nigeria would require support from the international community on the following:
- A long term solution for a source of clean power, which can be achieved through private investments to create economic competitiveness for industrialization, job creation and agricultural programmes throughout the country;
- The inclusion of Nigeria in Climate Regional Programmes, especially strong financial support to our planned project for the replenishment of the Lake Chad. This long term solution will ensure sustained livelihood for rural and urban communities, and permanently address the conditions conducive to the spread of violent extremism and terrorism, and stem illegal migration especially of our youths abroad.
Excellences, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
I look up to the developed countries to jointly take a leading role in mobilising support for this action plan. However, addressing the challenges of climate change should be pursued within the framework of the General Assembly of the United Nations by anchoring efforts on assisting developing countries to meet their Sustainable Development Goals aspirations and Nationally Determined Commitment.
I thank you.
Press Release: Nigeria Requires International Support To Mitigate Effects of Climate Change – President Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Paris appealed to the international community to support Nigeria’s commitment to reducing the negative effects of climate change.
In a submission to the One Planet Summit in the French capital attended by over 60 Heads of State and Governments, as well as representatives of non-governmental and private organisations, with the theme, “Climate Change Financing,” the President said, “we cannot implement our Nationally Determined Contribution without adequate financial, technical and capacity building support from the developed countries.”
While noting that “since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, we have been strengthening our national efforts towards the implementation of the Agreement and the Marrakech Call for Action,” and Nigeria had already ratified the Paris Agreement in May 2017, President Buhari, however, said the country’s “Nationally Determined Contribution to reduce our emission by 20% by 2020 and 40% by 2030,” cannot be attained alone.
According to him, “having just come out of recession we are under no illusion of the challenges that we face in Nigeria.”
President Buhari said “Nigeria recognizes that ensuring sustainable funding is a major constraint in efforts to implement the Nationally Determined Contribution,” adding that “to respond effectively to climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges, critical mass of financial resources beyond what we can provide from our national resources will be required.”
On steps Nigeria has taken to meet its national goal in this respect, he said the country has “embraced the issuance of the green bond as an innovative and alternative source of projects funding that would help reduce emissions and provide robust climate infrastructure, such as renewable energy, low carbon transport, water infrastructure and sustainable agriculture in line with the Paris Agreement.”
In furtherance of efforts to deliver on the country’s pledges, the President said the government was “tightening the existing governance structure in Nigeria for more effective implementation of climate change activities, including the additional responsibilities that are consequent on the adoption of the all-encompassing climate change treaty.”
He also stated that “Government is actively promoting technologies and practices such as sustainable land management, climate resilient agriculture, water efficiency, clean energy, and skills for reducing greenhouse gas emissions among others,” noting that sustaining these efforts will also require external support.
Other measures required, he said, included “accelerating Research and Development on facilitating Access to Climate Friendly Technologies, through technology pooling and collective approach to financing Research and Development, regulating restrictive practices in licensing agreements and anti-competitive uses of Intellectual Property and International Declaration on Climate Technologies.”
According to the President, “In Nigeria, we are looking at insurance-based proposals to deal with loss, damage and adaptation to the poor, vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups. Risk mitigation through insurance must benefit those groups who currently have negligible access to any form of indemnity coverage. Vulnerable groups will also benefit from new technologies and ways to make insurance schemes affordable, including through long term premium support.”
Recognising that “the adverse impacts of climate change such as temperature rise; erratic rainfall, sand storms, desertification, low agricultural yields, drying up of water bodies like Lake Chad, gully erosions and constant flooding are a daily reality in Nigeria,” President Buhari admitted that highly vulnerable communities lack the capacity to cope.
He said Nigeria would require external assistance in the following areas: “A long term solution for a source of clean power, which can be achieved through private investments to create economic competitiveness for industrialization, job creation and agricultural programmes throughout the country; and the inclusion of Nigeria in Climate Regional Programmes, especially strong financial support to our planned project for the replenishment of the Lake Chad.”
The President noted that “this long term solution will ensure sustained livelihood for rural and urban communities, and permanently address the conditions conducive to the spread of violent extremism and terrorism, and stem illegal migration especially of our youths abroad.”
In acknowledging that the external support must be sustained on a long term basis, President Buhari emphasised that “the changes that Nigeria and other developing countries need to make cannot be undertaken overnight.”
He said some fundamental restructuring of our economy was required, adding that “in this process, technology will be a powerful tool to simultaneously address climate change and advance development.”
The President said he looked up to the developed countries to jointly take a leading role in mobilising support for this action plan on addressing the challenges of climate change within the framework of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
In their remarks, the three co-chairmen of the plenary session, the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, the World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, stressed the imperative of a global comprehensive and speedy action, including private sector financing against the devastating impact of climate change.
President Buhari had before the summit, attended a luncheon hosted by his French counterpart in honour of visiting Heads of State and Governments at the Elysee Palace.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)
December 12, 2017
Factsheet: Why President Buhari is in Paris, France
The President is attending the One Planet Summit which aims to mobilize the financing needed for developing countries to attain the goals and targets of the Paris Climate Agreement. The theme of the Summit is ‘Climate Change Financing’.
In Paris he will reiterate Nigeria’s commitment to realising the objectives of the Paris Agreement, as well as strengthen Nigeria’s partnerships with fellow governments, and other regional and global Climate Action partners and stakeholders. At the Summit the President will deliver a speech on behalf of Nigeria. He will also attend a lunch hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France for visiting Heads of State and Government.
Nigeria joined several other countries around the world to sign the Paris Agreement in December 2015. President Buhari signed the Agreement on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on September 22, 2016, and followed this up with the signing of the Instrument of Ratification at the State House, Abuja, on March 28, 2017. This ratification made Nigeria the 146th party to the Paris Agreement. The Agreement became binding on Nigeria with effect from June 15, 2017, one month after the submission of the Ratification Instrument to the United Nations on May 16, 2017.
Under the Agreement Nigeria has committed (the so-called ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions – INDCs) to reducing carbon emissions 20% unconditionally and 45% with international support, by 2030. To achieve this Nigeria requires billions of dollars in funding and investment for energy, transport and agriculture projects that would reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change (manifesting as desertification, flooding, erosion, erratic rainfall, etc).
Nigeria has prioritized five sectors for the implementation of its INDCs, as follows:
- Oil and Gas (a new National Gas Policy that will reduce flaring, and also promote the use of gas instead of wood products)
- Agriculture and Land Use (Climate-smart agriculture)
- Transport (Shift from road transport to rail; also shift from transport powered by fossil fuels to renewable energy).
- Industrial Energy Efficiency
- Power (A new energy mix that increases the contribution of renewable energy sources; investment in solar and wind energy)
Financing is required not only for investment in the needed infrastructure but also for research and development aimed at advancing climate-friendly technologies.
Climate change is deeply connected to the Sustainable Goals Agenda of the United Nations. Goal 13 of the SDGs prescribes “urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.”
Government cannot singlehandedly fund the implementation of the INDC targets. An estimated 80% of the funding for climate action will need to come from the private sector. This is why the Government of Nigeria is launching, this month, a Green Bond, to raise domestic financing for low-carbon infrastructure projects across the country.
Partnerships are key to the success of the Paris Agreement. The Government of Nigeria is collaborating with subnational governments, regional and continental organisations, development finance institutions, the private sector and civil society groups, to ensure the success of its climate action efforts.
The One Planet Summit is being hosted by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and organised by the United Nations, the World Bank Group, the French Government and a coalition of NGOs/CSOs.
Follow updates using the hashtags: #PMBinParis, #ClimateActionNG and #CFD2017
Press Release: Massive Reception In Kano, Clear Message To The Opposition – President Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday night declared that the massive reception that greeted his arrival in Kano for a 2-day working visit “is a message to the opposition’’ that his popularity in the region remains unshaken.
Speaking at state dinner held in his honour, President Buhari was full of thanks and gratitude to the government and people of Kano for the very warm and peaceful reception.
”I am overwhelmed with the massive reception I have received and definitely since this is partisan politics, I think it has sent a clear message to the opposition.
‘‘Even going by the details of the election results in 2003, 2007 and 2011, it was very clear that nobody could even dare to rig my scores from the elections in Kano.
‘‘It has been so consistent and I don’t think I have the vocabulary to express my thanks to the people of Kano.
‘‘I am very grateful to God and the people of Kano for the complete trust you have in me,’’ he said.
The President noted that during his drive around the city on Wednesday to commission several projects, he observed that many of those who thronged the road to welcome him were very young people.
He pledged that as a person in a position of authority, his priority is to provide a meaningful future for the teeming youths in the country through education, and the faithful management of the economy and resources.
The President congratulated Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on his development strides in the state and urged other political office holders to emulate and support the state governor.
‘‘He is a great politician and I am afraid I am still learning,’’ the President remarked.
President Buhari reaffirmed that his message at his inaugural address, “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody,’’ will continue to guide his stewardship to the Nigerian people.
‘‘My problem is Nigeria and I have been involved in almost all the instability Nigeria experienced: the civil war, the coups, and counter-coups. That was why I said during my swearing-in that ‘I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.'”
‘‘Nigeria is my target and I will continue to maintain focus,’’ he said.
Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)
December 7, 2017
Press Release: President Buhari Pledges To Reform and Decongest Prisons, Witnesses Release of 500 Inmates in Kano
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Kano reaffirmed that prison reforms and decongestion will be pursued with greater vigor by his administration.
Speaking at a ceremony in Kurmawa Central Prison Kano, at which 500 inmates were either pardoned or set free upon the payment of fines by the State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, President Buhari lamented that some of the freed inmates were young and charged prison authorities to make every effort to make better citizens of prisoners.
President Buhari pledged that prisons reforms and decongestion would continue to receive prompt attention from his administration.
The President stressed the need for prisoners to receive proper care, support and rehabilitation to make them better citizens after serving their prisons terms.
“I am pleased with this visit and I have learnt a bit more about the conditions of the prisons and inmates.
“This building in front of us was built since 1910. Rehabilitation of prisoners and training of inmates is very important to us and we would continue to invest more on this.
“I asked one of the inmates (released) how old he was and he told me he is only 19 years old.
“If we have people of 18 and 19 years in the prison, and there is no continuous training, then their lives will be completely destroyed. We will invest more in education and vocational training,’’ he said.
The 500 inmates granted pardon, including men and women, were drawn from various prisons in Kano state, including Kurmawa prisons, which has 1,398 inmates as opposed to 750, the established capacity.
Earlier, the President who arrived Kano to a tumultuous welcome by the Government and people of the State at the start of a two-day state visit paid homage to the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
At the Emir’s place, President Buhari recounted his fond memories of Kano, as a symbol of peace, trade, commerce and industry in Nigeria.
‘‘If there is a problem here, the whole country has a problem. I remember the industry and employment people get in Kano.
‘‘Before the problem in the North East, I remember the number of articulated vehicles that leave this city to Maiduguri and the Cameroons, and the number of vehicles that come in from Chad and Niger, providing millions of jobs to Nigerians.
‘‘A lot of people in Nigeria didn’t realise how much the instability in the North East have cost the people and the industry here ’’ he said.
President Buhari, therefore, assured all Nigerians that the fight against the degraded Boko Haram will be sustained, in addition to the positive trends in the economy and the fight against corruption.
‘‘The three things we said in our campaign on security, economy and fighting corruption, nobody will be able to successfully disabuse the minds of Nigerians on our clear intentions for our country and our people,’’ the President declared.
Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President for Media & Publicity
December 6, 2017
Press Release: President Buhari Signs Three Bills
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 assented to the following Bills:
1. Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy (Establishment) Bill, 2017. The college to be sited in Enugu, is to provide courses of instruction leading to the award of degrees, diplomas and certificates in dental technology, dental therapy and related courses.
2. Air Force Institute of Technology of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2017. The Institute to be situated in Kaduna, is to give technical training to the personnel of the Nigerian Air Force and other services of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Nigerians and citizens of other African countries.
3. National Intelligence Agency Pensions (Establishment) Bill, 2017, is to administer the pensions scheme for personnel of the Agency, sequel to the exit of the Agency from the application of the Contributory Pension’s Scheme under the Pension’s Reform Act, 2004.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity)
December 6, 2017.
Press Release: Buhari Commends Guards Brigade For Professionalism
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja commended the Guards Brigade for demonstrating a high-level of discipline and professionalism expected from officers and men of the Nigerian Army.
Speaking at the decoration ceremony of the Commander, Guards Brigade, Brig-Gen. Musa Yusuf as Major-General, President Buhari said it was instructive that the senior officer displayed a high level of discipline during his two-year stint as Commander.
‘‘I congratulate the Brigade Commander for his achievements these past two years.
‘‘I never received any serious report of indiscipline in your formation that is in-charge of my security.
‘‘I hope you will get a command that will complement your experiences in the political headquarters.
‘‘I congratulate you very much for making it to this new rank at a very competitive time. I know there are so many Generals but when you go to the records you pick the best and place them at very strategic appointments,’’ he said.
The President expressed confidence that Major General Yusuf will bring his experience in the field as a former Guards Brigade Commander to his next posting, as directed by the Defence headquarters.
Recounting his days as a military officer, President Buhari said officers earned the respect of their colleagues because of their intellectual disposition and experience in the field.
‘‘An officer is what he is when he gets into the field. Certainly, there was the need for intellectual officers but then what you do in the field is what earns you respect from those who are under you,’’ he said.
In his remarks, Yusuf while reaffirming his “unalloyed loyalty and that of his troops to the President and Commander-in-Chief,’’ thanked President Buhari for the honour of decorating him with his new rank.
He conveyed the appreciation of his troops in Keffi, Nasarawa State and those at Gwagwalada, in the Federal Capital Territory to the President for the renovation works in the barracks.
In Keffi, this is the first time in the last 25 years that 14 blocks of accommodation for soldiers are being renovated; he said adding that in Gwagwalada, the Chief of Army Staff approved funds for renovation works in the barracks to make it habitable.
Born on November 6, 1966, Major General Yusuf had served as a member of Nigerian contingent to UN peacekeeping missions abroad including United Nations Mission in Eritrea-Ethiopia (UNMEE) and United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNAMID).
He also served in ECOMOG and Operation Harmony in Bakassi, among several other appointments in army units and formations in the country.
A graduate of Chemistry from the Nigeria Defence Academy, he holds Master’s Degree in Transport Management and additional Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
Media & Publicity
December 5, 2017
Press Release: President Buhari, Five African Leaders Demand for Resolution of Togo’s Political Instability
President Muhammadu Buhari and five other concerned West African leaders have called for an immediate roadmap to pave the way for negotiations between the Togolese government led by President Faure Gnassingbe Eyadema and the opposition movement.
The urgent demand by the leaders came at a meeting to discuss the situation in Togo, which ended early on Thursday in Abidjan, on the sidelines of the African Union-European Union Summit.
The Presidents of Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin Republic and Guinea Conakry, attended the meeting with President Eyadema.
The West African leaders asked the parties in Togo to urgently negotiate, without ‘‘any preconditions’’, and resolve the impasse in the interest of the well-being of the country and the region at large.
Recall that President Eyadema had given himself a deadline of Friday to provide the basis and framework for negotiations in response to the increasing list of demands put together by the opposition movement seeking to oust him from power after 12 years as President.
His late predecessor and father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, was the President of Togo from 1967 until his death in 2005.
Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President for Media & Publicity
November 30, 2017
Speech: President Buhari’s Address at the Inauguration of the Tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee
We are gathered here today to address issues concerning the welfare of the Nigerian people. Like his counterpart all over the world, the Nigerian worker is a vital element in the growth and development of modern nations. I therefore welcome the nominees of the Tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee who have been selected for the very important task of renegotiating the National Minimum Wage for our workers.
We all know that the last Minimum Wage Instrument has expired, and it is in recognition of the need to ensure a fair and decent living wage that the Federal Government put in motion necessary mechanism so that we can today inaugurate this large committee with a big task ahead of you.
You are all aware that during the period following the increase in Petrol Pump Price in May 2016, a Technical Committee was established to examine and make recommendations to Government on the measures to be adopted to cushion the envisaged painful effects of the increase on workers and the Nigerian populace at large.
During the deliberations of the Technical Committee which comprised Government and Organized Labour, the need for the review of the National Minimum Wage was highlighted and recommendation to set up a committee to look into the level of minimum wage was made accordingly. I am glad that the recommendation is being acted upon today and we can all acknowledge that this is in line with our democratic process. I wish to thank all those who participated in that exercise.
Considering the scope of the membership of this new National Minimum Wage Committee we can see that it is encompassing all stakeholders. My hope is that, the outcome of the deliberations of the Committee would be consensual and generally acceptable. I therefore urge you to amicably consider the issue of a National Minimum Wage and all matters that are ancillary to it with thoroughness and concern not only for the welfare of our work-force but the effect on the country’s economy.
The subject of a National Minimum Wage for the Federation is within the Exclusive Legislative List of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Accordingly, we should aim to go above the basic Social Protection Floor for all Nigerian workers based on the ability of each tier of Government to pay.
I say this because minimum wage is the minimum amount of compensation an employee must receive for putting in his or her labour and as such should be anchored on Social Justice and Equity.
Government’s decision after considering your final recommendation will be sent as an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for it to undergo appropriate legislative scrutiny before passage into law.
As is evident by the membership of the Committee, State Governors and Private Sector Employers are part of this process. This will ensure ease of implementation of a new Minimum Wage nationwide.
I am hopeful that the principles of full consultation with Social Partners and their direct participation would be utilized by the Committee, bearing in mind the core provisions of the International Labour Organisation Minimum Wage Fixing Convention No. 131 and Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery Convention No.26 (ratified by Nigeria).
Accordingly, conditions of genuine Social Dialogue should prevail in the spirit of Tripartism and Collective Bargaining Agreements. I therefore enjoin you all to collectively bargain in good faith, have mutual recognition for each other and always in a spirit of give and take.
The Committee is expected to complete its deliberations and submit its report and recommendations as soon as possible to enable other requisite machinery to be set in motion for implementation of a new National Minimum Wage.
I wish you fruitful deliberations and I am very happy to inaugurate this Committee.