Nigerian Governors Reveals New Minimum Wage
State governors have decided against setting a minimum wage higher than N70,000, ruling out the N100,000 proposed by some stakeholders, The NATION reported.
This decision was made during a meeting held on Thursday in Abuja, where the governors assessed the current economic landscape and concluded that exceeding the N70,000 threshold would be neither feasible nor sustainable.
During the session, the governors, convening under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), considered wage options ranging from N60,000—which the Federal Government had previously proposed to labor unions—to N70,000, a figure already adopted by the Edo State Government.
However, consensus on a uniform wage was not achieved. To address this, a committee led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was established. Uzodimma also chairs the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), which represents governors elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This decision aligns with earlier statements from NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who emphasized that states would only commit to a minimum wage that is “affordable and sustainable.”
A source from the meeting disclosed, “After extensive discussions, we opted to explore wage options between N60,000 and N70,000 per month. We couldn’t settle on a specific rate for all states. Consequently, Governor Uzodimma’s committee will review all proposals and provide recommendations. The NGF will reconvene soon to discuss the committee’s report.”
The source further clarified that a N100,000 minimum wage is off the table, as many states are still struggling to meet the current N30,000 minimum wage, which was implemented in 2019.
“Some states are even stuck at the N18,000 level, unable to afford the current minimum wage. Only one state has moved to a N70,000 wage so far,” the source noted.
