By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS Nigeria

Nigeria’s government on Tuesday struck a deal with the country's labor union to send a bill to parliament recommending a 30,000 naira ($98) minimum wage, a key demand workers said must be met to stave off pending strike and protests.

Labor Minister Chris Ngige said the government agreed to send the bill by Jan. 23, when parliament reconvenes from the holiday break.

“The government will religiously implement all the processes that will enable us to transmit this bill within the stipulated time,” Ngige told reporters in the capital Abuja after a meeting with labor leaders.

“We will take all statutory meetings of the Federal Executive Council, National Economic Council, and the National Council of State meetings to enable us transmit the bill on the new national minimum wage.”

The seeming breakthrough came on the day labor and its civil society allies held nationwide protests to demand immediate transmission of the minimum wage bill to parliament. Labor leaders had said that the protests would be followed by a strike which could cripple the economy.