In a landmark move, President Bola Tinubu signed into law a new national minimum wage of N70,000 on Monday, July 29, 2024, from the initial N30,000, after a series of meetings which resulted in failure of the Organised Labour, private sectors and the federal government representatives who made up the Tripartite Committee to reach an agreement on the new minimum wage.
The new minimum wage is viewed as a key step in addressing the rising cost of living and improving the welfare of Nigerian civil servants. However, its implementation at the state level has sparked mixed reactions from governors across the country.
While some state governors have expressed their readiness to pay the new minimum wage, others have raised concerns about their inability to pay the new minimum wage due to limited financial resources.
1. Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos State)
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, while commemorating Workers’ Day on May 1, 2024, assured civil servants in the state that his administration would implement the now-approved new minimum wage.
He added that his administration is committed to building a more inclusive and equitable society, where workers’ interests receive the attention they deserve.
2. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa State)
The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, recently announced the approval of the payment of the new minimum wage of N70,000 to civil servants in the state on Monday, August 19, 2024.
He described the approval as a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to the welfare of civil servants in the state.
3. Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo State)
Ahead of the gubernatorial election in Ondo State, the incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has also shown a willingness to pay the new minimum wage.
This was made known in a statement released on August 6, 2024, by the Ondo State Head of Service, Mr. Bayo Philip. According to him, Governor Aiyedatiwa had consistently assured that Ondo State, under his leadership, would adhere to the minimum wage standard set by the Federal Government.
4. Ademola Adeleke (Osun State)
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, is also among the state governors who have expressed readiness to pay the new minimum wage. The governor, through the state’s Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi on July 19, 2024, revealed that Adeleke’s administration prioritises the welfare of workers, adding that Osun State would not deviate from the law on the new minimum wage.
5. Hyacinth Alia (Benue State)
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has stated that his administration is prepared to pay state workers the new national minimum wage of N70,000. The governor, who made this known to journalists in Makurdi, the state’s capital, on Friday, July 19, 2024, revealed that his administration has blocked leakages and implemented measures to ensure the new minimum wage is paid.
6. Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa State)
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State is one of the governors who have expressed willingness to pay the new minimum wage. The governor revealed on August 6, 2024, through his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Public Affairs, Comrade Peter Ahemba, that his administration is committed to workers’ welfare, adding that the payment of the new wage would commence anytime soon.
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However, the governor in a subsequent meeting with representatives of organised labour to discuss issues concerning the welfare of the state workers, announced the resolve of the state government to implement the backlog of promotions for workers from the year 2019 to 2023.
He said, “I made a promise to you that once the minimum wage is agreed, by the middle of August, we will be able to work out a template to pay the arrears of May, June and July. And for the month of August, we will take off with the new minimum wage. That was my promise, that was my wish, that is my prayer, that is my commitment up till this moment.”
He, however, noted that the state may not be able to implement the new minimum wage with immediate effect until the next two years.
“What I told you then was that we were waiting for what will be the impact of the minimum wage. If the impact of the minimum wage comes to us as say, N800m a month, if you put together this N200m, it is about one billion naira. The state can not pay. The state does not have the capacity to pay,” the governor added.
7. Babagana Zulum (Borno State)
Borno State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Inuwa Yusuf, revealed in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune on July 21, 2024, that Governor Babagana Zulum has expressed his willingness to pay the new N70,000 wage.
He stated that the governor is committed to adopting the new minimum wage agreed upon by the Federal Government for civil servants in the state.
8. Seyi Makinde (Oyo State)
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Sulaimon Olanrewaju, earlier disclosed on July 29, 2024, that paying the N70,000 minimum wage to the state’s workers would not be too difficult for the Oyo government.
Mr Olanrewaju recalled that during the 2024 Workers’ Day celebration, the governor had pledged to pay whatever the national minimum wage would be, adding that the governor’s stance remains unchanged.
