FIVE years after former President Muhammadu Buhari signed the law increasing the country’s minimum wage to N30,000, Zamfara government has said that it will begin to reflect this figure in its workers’ remuneration from June 2024.
The state governor Dauda Lawal disclosed this during a meeting with the state’s labour union leaders on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.
According to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson Sulaiman Idris, plans are being made to further improve the working conditions of civil servants in the state.
“Since assuming office as the governor of Zamfara State, my administration has implemented numerous civil service reforms to ensure workers’ welfare. We have achieved the payment of withheld three months’ salaries of workers, payment of leave grant, and other bonuses,” the statement noted.
The statement also noted that retirement benefits will also be paid in a timely fashion.
“No employee should be concerned about retirement, as we will ensure timely payment of retirement benefits without any delays. We are committed to our rescue mission,” the statement.
The decision to commence this payment comes amidst agitations by national labour unions that the N30,000 minimum wage be increased due to harsh economic realities, which are worsening living conditions in Nigeria.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero, stated earlier in May that the duration for the N30,000 minimum wage had expired and there is a need for upward review.
Organised Labour in Nigeria has stated that the living wage for an average Nigerian given the current economic situation is N615,000.
Negotiations have been ongoing between labour unions in Nigeria and the federal government.
While the federal government initially offered the sum of N48,000 as the new minimum wage, labour leaders described the figure as ridiculous and an insult to workers.
The government recently increased the offer to N57,000. Labour leaders have refused the offer, but reduced their demands to N497,000.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.