KEBBI and Akwa Ibom states have joined the growing list of Nigerian states ready to implement the new minimum wage for workers.
This development followed President Bola Tinubu’s signing of the new minimum wage bill into law in July, ending months of deliberations between government representatives, labour unions, and the private sector.
The President assented to the bill seeking N70,000 for workers on Monday, July 29, at the State House in Abuja, barely a week after the National Assembly passed it.
The revised minimum wage aimed at alleviating hardship faced by public sector employees, following fuel subsidy removal and other economic reforms by Tinubu’s government that have made life unbearable for most citizens.
Nigerian governors had opposed the N60,000 minimum wage initially proposed by the Federal Government.
The governors rejected the proposal in a statement by the director of media and public affairs of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Halimah Ahmed, on Friday, June 7.
Meanwhile, The ICIR can report that no fewer than 17 states have expressed readiness to implement the new minimum wage, with both Kebbi and Akwa Ibom state governments recently expressing their commitment to ensuring that workers receive the new wage as soon as the necessary processes are finalised.
On Wednesday, October 23, Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris approved a new minimum wage of N75,000 for civil servants in the state.
Similarly, Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno approved a new minimum wage of N80,000 for public servants in his state.
Other states, including Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, and Kogi have already approved similar wage adjustments, with some going as high as N85,000.
In the case of Lagos, The ICIR reported that the state Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on October 16, approved N85,000 minimum wage for the state workers.
Also, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara approved a new minimum wage of N85,000 for civil servants in his state on October 18.
For Ogun, Gombe, and Ondo, the state governments have approved N77,000, N71,451.15, and N73,000 for their workers respectively.
This was as the Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo approved N72,500 minimum wage for the state’s civil servants.
Anambra and Borno have indicated their intention to begin paying the new minimum wage in October.
Adamawa, Ebonyi, Katsina, Kwara, and Delta have also announced the approval of the new monthly minimum wage of N70,000.
Similarly, Oyo, Osun and Benue State have expressed readiness to adopt the new minimum wage.
However, states including as Zamfara, Niger, Sokoto, and Jigawa have not yet disclosed if and when they will be paying the new wage.
The ICIR reported that the Zamfara government had only stated that it would begin paying the previous minimum wage of N30,000 in May 2024.
The state‘s readiness was coming five years after the N30,000 was signed into law by former president Muhammadu Buhari.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M