• Sunday, December 22, 2024
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BusinessDay

Twenty states begin payment of new minimum wage

Minimum Wage: Ajaero, Osifo, lead labour to meet with Tinubu

About 20 states have revealed their implementation of the new wage law, which will see them pay N70,000 approved by the federal government, BusinessDay findings show.

The states are: Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Niger, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Jigawa, Gombe, Ogun, Kebbi, Ondo, Kogi among others.

On July 29, 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the N70,000 minimum wage bill into law after months of negotiations with labour unions.

The new monthly minimum wage was raised by 133 percent from 30,000 to 70,000, amid the economic hardship eroding millions of Nigerians’ purchasing power.

Tommy Okon, deputy chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said any governor that is yet to agree on the new minimum wage by now is “insensitive to the plight of workers.”

Okon said with increased revenue, governors have no excuse not to pay the new minimum wage.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State, disclosed during a discussion on Channels Television on October 16, 2024 that he would pay N85,000 as a new minimum wage to Lagos civil servants, which is N15,000 higher than the N70,000 minimum wage.

“I am glad to let you know that the minimum wage for Lagos which we discussed with our union is N85,000 today,” the governor said.

Daniel Alabrah, the spokesperson of Bayelsa State Governor, also said Duoye Diri has consented to better pay for pensioners, apart from approving N80,000 new minimum wage, with effect from November 1.

Here are the 20 states that have implemented the new minimum wage and above:

Lagos state – N85,000

Rivers state — N85,000

Bayelsa state – N80,000

Niger – N80,000

Enugu – N80,000

Akwa Ibom state – 80,000

Abia – N70,000

Adamawa – N70,000

Anambra – N70,000

Jigawa – N70,000

Borno – N70,000

Ebonyi – N75,000

Edo – N70,000

Delta – N77,000

Gombe – N71,000

Ogun – N77,000

Kebbi – N75,000

Ondo – N73,000

Kogi – N72,000

Kwara – N70,000

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