News

Minimum Wage: List Of States Willing To Pay 70k

BySodiq Lawal

PublishedJuly 20, 2024

It is no longer a news that the President Bola Tinubu has approved N70,000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents after a meeting Mr Tinubu held with labour leaders in his office at Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Festus Osifo, who also spoke at the briefing, confirmed that the leadership of the two unions are positively inclined towards the new wage, but that they will call a meeting of their National Executive Committees and table it.

However, Osun Defender has gathered list of states that are willing to pay 70,000 as the new minimum wage.

Below are the are some of the states that have shown willingness to pay the new minimum wage.

1. Osun State

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has affirmed his commitment to implementing the approved N70,000 minimum wage for civil servants.

Speaking through Kolapo Alimi, his commissioner for information and public enlightenment, Gov Adeleke told The Nation that the welfare of workers is a top priority for his administration.

He said: “Our governor is a lover of workers; his first agenda is to prioritise the welfare of workers both active and non-active.

“Governor Ademola Adeleke will not be among the defaulters of the new minimum wage. Osun state will never deviate from the law on minimum wage. Governor Ademola Adeleke will key into it.”

Minimum Wage: List Of States That Are Willing To Pay 70k

It is no longer a news that the President Bola Tinubu has approved N70,000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

However, Osun Defender has gathered list of states that are willing to pay 70,000 as the new minimum wage.

1. Osun State

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has affirmed his commitment to implementing the approved N70,000 minimum wage for civil servants.

Speaking through Kolapo Alimi, his commissioner for information and public enlightenment, Gov Adeleke told The Nation that the welfare of workers is a top priority for his administration.

He said: “Our governor is a lover of workers; his first agenda is to prioritise the welfare of workers both active and non-active.

“Governor Ademola Adeleke will not be among the defaulters of the new minimum wage. Osun state will never deviate from the law on minimum wage. Governor Ademola Adeleke will key into it.”

Benue State

The Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has declared willingness to pay 70,000 as new minimum wage.

This was disclosed during an interview with the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Kulas Tersoo.

“We shall not have problem paying the new minimum wage. We shall sit round the table with Labour and sort out grey areas once the bill is passed into law.

“But so far, the Governor has done more than ₦70,000,” Tersoo said.

Nasarawa State

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule says the state has since implemented the ₦30,000 minimum wage approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 and is ready to pay whatever amount is agreed on by governors.

Governor Sule said that his administration did not just adhere to the ₦30,000 minimum wage on assuming office but equally implemented promotions, gratuities and other benefits for its workers since then.

He explained further that his administration has placed high priority on the welfare of workers, adding that he will pay whatever is agreed on by all the governors.

The governor explained that the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State is already handling that on behalf of all the governors, and once they arrive at a decision, it will be implemented in Nasarawa State.

Akwa Ibom

The Akwa Ibom State Government says it is willing and ready to pay the new minimum wage of ₦70,000.

Governor Umo Eno had stated that the state government will abide by the agreement reached between organised labour and the federal government.

This was contained in an interview with the Head of the State Civil Service, Effiong Essien.

Enugu State

The Enugu State government has said that Governor Peter Mbah is willing to make the state and local government workers happy following the approval of a new minimum wage of ₦70,000 for Nigerian workers by President Bola Tinubu.

A senior aide of the governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the state executive council would meet to determine how Enugu State is going to adjust to paying the new wage.

Asked if Governor Peter Mbah is ready to pay the amount, the official said: “You know this matter was only approved yesterday (Thursday) and we’ve not held the state executive council meeting yet.

“This means that no decision will be taken until the matter is discussed and modalities put in place to ensure its swift implementation.

“But as you already know, Governor Mbah is very willing to make Enugu workers happy, and in doing that he will not pay ghost workers and ghost pensioners.

“It is only those working that’ll be paid. I’m sure you know the character of our governor. You won’t earn anything if you don’t work.”