Several Nigerian States Pledge N70,000 Minimum Wage Or More Despite Failing To Fully Implement N30,000 Wage Since 2019
According to reports, states like Abia, Benue, Adamawa, Cross Rivers, Gombe, Taraba, Bauchi, Imo, Niger, and Sokoto have failed to implement the old N30,000 minimum wage for teachers generally.
Many Nigerian states have announced approval of the newly agreed N70,000 minimum wage with some states declaring that they will pay more.
In this report, SaharaReporters detail how states failed to implement the N30,000 minimum wage agreed on in 2019 but are pledging higher minimum wages in light of the N70,000 agreed with the Nigeria Labour Congress by the federal government in 2024.
According to reports, states like Abia, Benue, Adamawa, Cross Rivers, Gombe, Taraba, Bauchi, Imo, Niger, and Sokoto have failed to implement the old N30,000 minimum wage for teachers generally.
Other states such as Anambra, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Enugu, and Jigawa have failed to implement the old minimum wage for teachers in primary schools.
Earlier this year, Chris Onyeka, the NLC’s assistant general secretary, slammed the country’s governors for flouting the Minimum Wage Act, noting they do not believe in its sanctity.
Onyeka pointed out that while workers were anxiously awaiting the passage of the new minimum wage, 15 states had yet to implement the N30,000 wage enacted in 2019.
Onyeka was quoted as saying, “A state governor who does not believe in the sanctity of the laws will have a high proclivity to disobey them. If you examine the history of some of these governors and their handlers, you will find a preponderance of those who came to power by breaking the laws.”
“Is it now that they will obey the National Minimum Wage Act?” he asked.
The NLC scribe listed the states as Abia, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Gombe, Niger, Borno, Sokoto, Anambra, Imo, Benue, Taraba and Zamfara.
As of the time of this report however, Niger State has announced a N80,000 minimum wage, expected to take off in November.
In Abia State, N70,000 minimum wage has also been approved for workers. Adamawa State has also approved N70,000 minimum wage for its state and local government workers.
Gombe State raised minimum wage to N71,451, while Benue State government also expressed willingness to pay N70,000 minimum wage.
Delta State also declared to pay N70,000 minimum wage.
It was not until this 2024 that Zamfara State started implementing the old N30,000 minimum wage after the state governor Dauda Lawal pledged to commence the payment of the wage in June.
Aside from the non-implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage by some states, they have also been accused of failing to implement a wage award of N35,000 that was meant to lessen economic hardship pending the implementation of the approved minimum wage.
