Labour Blows Alarm Has 26 States Refuses To Implement 70.000 New Minimum Wage

By Dayo Johnson, Victor AhiumaYoung, Wole Mosadomi, Demola Akinyemi, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Peter Duru, Umar Yusuf, Marie-Therese Nanlong, Ndahi Marama, James Ogunnaike, Chinonso Alozie, Deola Badru, Charles Agwam, Femi Bolaji Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo & Musa Ubandawaki

Nearly two months after President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law, findings revealed that only two states, Edo and Adamawa, have commenced payment of N70,000 to the least-paid workers in their various states.

Eight states, Lagos, Rivers, Ondo Ogun, Kogi, Gombe and Bauchi said they would be paying a different amount.

This came as Organised Labour gave all governors an October deadline to implement the new wage or face industrial unrest.

Of note is that while Edo State started paying its workers N70,000 in June, two months before it was signed into law, Adamawa State started implementing the N70,000 new minimum wage in August.
States where wages have been announced

Lagos

Among states that have displayed preparedness to pay the new wage is Lagos.

Recall that Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on October 16, said his administration was ready to pay N85,000 as minimum wage.

The decision was said to have been made unilaterally without negotiations or agreement with Organised Labour in the state.

However, Sunday Vanguard learnt the leadership of Labour in the state would begin negotiation with government on October 21, 2024.

Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu, in an interview, said: “I just want to let you know that the minimum wage in Lagos as we discussed with our workers’ union is N85,000 as of today. It is not a competition. I’m not saying that we are paying more than other states. It is a function of affordability and the function of capacity.

“I would like to come back in January to say that I have been able to increase the minimum wage of Lagos’ public workers to N100,000, not because I want to make anybody look bad, but because I want my people to have a living wage.”