President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed into law a new national minimum wage of ₦70,000 on Monday, July 29, 2024, marking a significant increase from the previous ₦30,000.
This decision follows intense negotiations by the Tripartite Committee, which included representatives from Organized Labour, the private sector, and the federal government.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that despite the committee’s efforts, a unanimous agreement was not reached before the federal government moved forward with the new wage structure.
The new minimum wage is seen as a major step towards addressing the rising cost of living and improving the welfare of Nigerian civil servants. Tinubu’s administration has presented this as part of broader economic reforms aimed at easing financial pressures on ordinary Nigerians.
While the new wage has garnered widespread support from civil servants and labor unions, it has also sparked mixed reactions among state governors.
Some governors have expressed readiness to implement the ₦70,000 minimum wage, viewing it as essential for enhancing workers’ lives.
However, others have raised concerns about their states’ financial capacity to sustain the increased wage bill, especially in regions already burdened with limited revenues and large debts.
State Governors Ready to Implement the ₦70,000 Minimum Wage:
- Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos State): On May 1, 2024, Governor Sanwo-Olu assured Lagos State civil servants of his administration’s commitment to implementing the new minimum wage. Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, confirmed on August 10, 2024, that the state had been paying above the minimum wage even before it was officially approved.
- Ademola Adeleke (Osun State): Governor Adeleke has affirmed his readiness to implement the new minimum wage. Osun State’s Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, announced on July 19, 2024, that Adeleke’s administration is committed to workers’ welfare and will adhere to the new wage law.
- Godwin Obaseki (Edo State): Governor Obaseki had already begun paying the new minimum wage of ₦70,000 before President Tinubu signed the bill into law.
- Hyacinth Alia (Benue State): Governor Alia confirmed on July 19, 2024, that his administration is prepared to pay the new ₦70,000 minimum wage, with measures in place to block financial leakages and ensure proper payment.
- Babagana Umara Zulum (Borno State): Governor Zulum has expressed his commitment to paying the new minimum wage, as reported by Borno State’s Nigeria Labour Congress chairman, Inuwa Yusuf, on July 21, 2024.
- Seyi Makinde (Oyo State): Governor Makinde, through Chief Press Secretary Sulaimon Olanrewaju, stated on July 29, 2024, that implementing the ₦70,000 minimum wage would be manageable, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to meeting the new wage requirement.
- Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa State): Governor Sule indicated readiness to pay the new minimum wage. His Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Comrade Peter Ahemba, confirmed on August 6, 2024, the administration’s commitment to worker welfare and stated that payments would begin soon.
- Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo State): Governor Aiyedatiwa has shown willingness to implement the new minimum wage, as announced on August 6, 2024, by the Ondo State Head of Service, Mr. Bayo Philip.
- Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa State): Governor Fintiri announced on August 19, 2024, that the new ₦70,000 minimum wage has been approved for civil servants, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
State Governors ₦70000 Minimum Wage
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