The Director-General Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman, says most of the country’s challenges including low wages stem from existing distortions in its federal system.
Lukman said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, adding that there was a need for everyone to take responsibility to move the country forward.
He said there was, therefore, need to develop Nigeria’s democracy and ensure that the nation operates a truly federal system.
He noted that beyond creating jobs, the quality of jobs was important, adding “the whole notion of decent jobs will be compromised so long as workers don’t earn living wages.”
Lukman said living wages would be a far cry if the current low productivity indices were retained.
“The implication of what Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is campaigning for is that current unacceptably high levels of unemployment and low ages should be retained.
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“If the truth is to be told, minimum wage of N30,000 in the present day Nigeria for any family is an apology.
“In terms of potential, if our workers are optimally productive, minimum wage should not be anywhere less than N100,000,” Lukman stressed.
He noted that thinking out of the box was the way to address the country’s challenges.
“We need to take responsibility where it matters most.
“Nigeria is faced with a lot of problems and the earlier we come to terms with the reality that the only way we can solve our problems is to think out of the box, the better.
“Resolving these issues require a holistic approach, which should be about reviewing all our existing frameworks.
“If we want to be a federalist nation, centralised frameworks will completely undermine the capacity of our institutions to meet our national needs,” he said.
The PGF DG said thinking out of the box, however, required accepting first and foremost that there was a challenge that should be addressed.