• NLC considers ₦100,000 as an acceptable minimum wage
• Minister of Finance Wale Edun presents a minimum wage template
• Tinubu names Abuja Highway after Wole Soyinka
• Resident doctors threaten strike over allowance
• Bandits kidnap 56 people in Niger, demand food and motorcycle and ₦63m ransom

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.

NLC considers ₦100,000 as an acceptable minimum wage

Multiple sources have conveyed that the Organised Labour may settle for a minimum wage of ₦100,000 as the President has promised to increase the minimum wage to a number above ₦60,000, which the federal government last offered.

The President instructed the Tripartite Committee to meet every day for a week to decide the minimum wage, ensuring that they arrive at a fair and agreeable minimum wage by the Organised Labour.

“The government representatives did not mention a raise of ₦60,000.  They just set the agenda on what to do and how to negotiate. There was no mention of any increment. But labour planned to close the negotiation on ₦100,000 minimum wage,” a senior NLC official stated.

Minister of Finance Wale Edun presents a minimum wage template

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instructed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to make the calculations to help submit a minimum wage proposal to the NLC.

Since the President met with the leaders of the NLC and TUC, he assured them of increasing the minimum wage offer to a figure above the proposed ₦60,000, which made the Organised Labour suspend their indefinite strike for five days while the Tripartite Committee discussed a more acceptable minimum wage offer.

The Senate has promised to put the new and accepted minimum wage bill into law as quickly as possible to avoid any delay with its implementation in the country.

Tinubu names Abuja Highway after Wole Soyinka

The President of Nigeria honoured the Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, at the inauguration of the Arterial Road N20 in Abuja by naming it after him.

The new road, which runs from Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) in Abuja, was inaugurated on June 4 and is one of the arterial roads which links the ONEX and the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) through the sector centres.

According to Ajuri Ngelale, the road will improve vehicular traffic circulation from the bounding districts of Mabushi, Katampe, Jahi, and Kado.

Resident doctors threaten strike over allowance

Shortly after the NLC and TUC embarked on a nationwide strike for the minimum wage and the reversal of the electricity tariff, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) directed all its branches across the nation to issue a two-week ultimatum to all Chief Medical Directors and Managing Directors to pay the allowance fees owed.

After a meeting held in Kaduna State, a communique was released, warning that if the responsible bodies did not comply with the request, a nationwide strike would commence, possibly jeopardising the health sector.

They also requested a reduction in examination fees for the West African Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians to facilitate the registration of resident doctors.

Bandits kidnap 56 people in Niger, demand food and motorcycle and ₦63m ransom

Bandits have once again struck fear in the hearts of Nigerians living in the north as 56 people, including women and children, have been kidnapped in Kankuru, Adogon-Mallam, and Tungan-Kawo villages in Munya and Shiroro local government areas of Niger State.

According to reports, Kunkuru village is a kilometre away from Kuchi, where 150 people had been recently abducted.

Residents of Munya Local Government reported that the bandits were demanding N63 million, three motorcycles, and ten bags of 100kg rice for the release of the captives.