In a landmark move, President Bola Tinubu signed into law a new national minimum wage of N70,000 on Monday, July 29, 2024, up from the initial N30,000.
This followed a series of meetings that failed to reach an agreement between the Organised Labour, private sectors, and federal government representatives who made up the Tripartite Committee.
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 do so due to limited financial resources.
In this article, Tribune Online examines some state governors who have declared their readiness to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage.
1. Dikko Radda (Kastina State)
Dikko Radda, the governor of Katsina State, is the latest state governor to express readiness to implement the new minimum wage of N70,000. He announced this during the Public Engagement and Launch of the Community Development Programme, part of the 2025 Citizens Budget Participation Process, held in Katsina on Thursday, 5 September 2024.
He stated that Katsina State is well-positioned to lead the implementation of the new wage policy and added that his administration is committed to public sector service delivery.
2. Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi State)
The governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, has joined the list of state governors ready to pay the new minimum wage of N70,000. He made this known during the grand finale of the Ojiji Izhi New Yam Festival 2024. The Governor also directed all relevant government authorities to draft modalities for implementing the new minimum wage, which is set to commence this September.
3. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe State)
In a recent development, the Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has expressed his willingness to join the list of state governors prepared to pay the new minimum wage. This was disclosed by the state’s Deputy Governor, Manassah Daniel Jatau, during a press briefing held late on Sunday, 25th August, at the conference hall of the Deputy Governor’s Office in Gombe. The Deputy Governor stated that Governor Yahaya is committed to implementing the new minimum wage to boost the morale of the state’s civil servants.
4. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa State)
The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, recently announced the approval of the new minimum wage of N70,000 to civil servants on Monday, August 19, 2024.
He described the approval as a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to the welfare of state civil servants.
5. 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.
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.
7. 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.
8. 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 state civil servants.
9. 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.
10. 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 had blocked leakages and implemented measures to ensure the new minimum wage is paid.
11. 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 in which workers’ interests receive the attention they deserve.
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