Minimum Wage: 9 States to Pay Workers Above N70,000

After a series of negotiations and compliance with the consequential adjustment guidelines of the federal government, nine of the 36 states of the federation have agreed to pay their workers above the N70,000 new national minimum wage.

The states are divided into two categories: those paying from N80,000 and above and those in the above N70,000 class.

In the first category are Rivers State (N85,000), being the highest in the country, followed by Bayelsa State (N80,000), Niger State (N80,000), and Akwa Ibom (N80,000).

The second group is topped by Ogun State with N77,000, trailed by Kebbi State (N75,000), Kogi State (N72,500), Kaduna (N72,000), and Gombe State (N71,500).

So far, 20 states have agreed to pay the N70,000 minimum while the rest 16 are yet to conclude negotiations with their workers.

On October 18, 2024, Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, approved the sum of N85,000 as minimum wage for civil servants in the employ of the state government.

The approval followed an agreement reached during a closed-door meeting between Fubara and representatives of the organised labour under the auspices of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

According to the head of the civil service of the state, Dr George Nweke, the state government would begin the payment of the minimum wage in November 2024.

In Niger State, Governor Umaru Bago announced a minimum wage of N80,000 after an extensive meeting with labour leaders.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) chairman, Comrade Idris Abdulkareem Lafene led the organised labour to the parley.

Emerging from the meeting, the governor said the payment would commence this month for both state and local government workers

Also, Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri, has endorsed N80,000 for civil service employees, effective from November 1, 2024.

Additionally, Governor Diri approved an increase in the monthly pensions for retirees and allocated N7 billion to help reduce unpaid gratuity burdens.

According to his spokesperson, Daniel Alabrah, the governor recognised the hardships faced by workers in Bayelsa due to the rising cost of living.

Akwa Ibom State governor, Umo Eno, has also settled for N80,000 minimum wage for the state's employees in the civil service.

The governor thereafter constituted a committee to ensure the smooth implementation of the new wage regime with the head of civil service (HoCS), Effiong Essien, as chairman, with a month ultimatum to deliver its report on the wage increase harmonisation.

Similarly, the Gombe State government has approved a new minimum wage of N71,500 for its civil servants, effective from October ending.

The deputy governor, Manasseh Jatau, who is the chairman of the minimum wage negotiation committee, announced this after successful talks with labour leaders.

He said the new payment would be implemented in last month's salaries.

The Kebbi State governor, Nasir Idris, on October 23 joined the league of governors paying above the new minimum wage. He announced N75,000 for the state workers at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi.

Also, on October 23, the Kogi state government agreed to pay N72,500 minimum wage to its civil servants.

Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, has equally approved N72,000 for the workers effective November 2024.

Sani said, it was in the advancement of the interest of workers and improvement in the living conditions of the poor, vulnerable and underserved in the state.

The governor also unveiled a free transportation scheme for workers and released 100 CNG buses to convey civil servants to and from work.

Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, announced the sum of N77,000 as minimum wage for the workers.

Although Abiodun promised to commence the payment of the new wage in October, Torizone learnt that he paid a uniform sum of N40,000 to all categories of workers in the month pending when the consequential adjustments would be worked out.