Chijioke Iremeka As President Bola Tinubu approves N70,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers, medical experts say the majority of Nigerians cannot have good healthcare with such a monthly income , especially with the country’s high costs of drugs and medical services. The physicians said the approved minimum wage can only take care of transportation costs of patients to the hospital but can’t foot their medical bills. The doctors argued that with the biting economic hardship that had already plunged many Nigerians into poverty, N70,000 was grossly inadequate to provide good healthcare to the populace, particularly those with low incomes.
Recall that Tinubu approved a N70,000 minimum wage last week, with a promise to review the national minimum wage law every three years. This approval followed a two-day strike, an initial demand for N615,000, and several negotiations between the President and the Nigeria Labour Congress. In response to the approval, NLC’s national president, Joe Ajaero, stated that accepting the N70,000 minimum wage was an act of solidarity.
He added that the decision aimed to prevent a further hike in petrol prices and the increased hardship such an increase would cause. Reacting to the approval in different exclusive interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the experts maintained that the minimum wage can’t provide quality healthcare for Nigerians. The senior health professionals said with the current exchange rates and the skyrocketing costs of essential .