Newsonspot reports that weeks after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed into law a new national minimum wage of N70,000 from the initial N30,000, the implementation has continued to generate concerns in the polity.
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, some state governors have expressed their readiness to pay the new minimum wage, others have raised concerns about their inability to pay the new minimum wage due to limited financial resources.
Here is the list of some state governors who have declared their readiness to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage.
1. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa state): Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa state recently announced the approval of the payment of the new minimum wage of N70,000 to civil servants in the state on Monday, August 19, 2024. He described the approval as a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to the welfare of civil servants in the state.
2. Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo state): The governor of Ondo state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has also shown willingness to pay the new minimum wage. He made this known in a statement released on August 6, 2024, by the Ondo State Head of Service, Mr. Bayo Philip.
3. Ademola Adeleke (Osun state): Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state, is also among the state governors who have expressed readiness to pay the new minimum wage. As reported by The Nigerian Tribune, 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. He added that Osun State would not deviate from the law on the new minimum wage.
4. Babatunde Sanwo-Olu (Lagos state): Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state, 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. The Lagos state commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, on Saturday, August 10, told The Punch that the state had been paying more than the minimum wage before it was passed into law.
5. Godwin Obaseki (Edo state): The Edo state government led by Governor Godwin Obaseki is also among the list. Obaseki noted that his state has started paying workers N70,000 even before President Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law.
6. Hyacinth Alia (Benue state): Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue state said his administration is prepared to pay state workers the new national minimum wage of N70,000. The governor, made this known to journalists in Makurdi, the state’s capital, on Friday, July 19, 2024. He also revealed that his administration has blocked leakages and implemented measures to ensure the new minimum wage is paid.
7. 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. He added that that the payment of the new wage would commence anytime soon.
8. Babagana Umara Zulum (Borno state): Babagana Zulum, the governor of Borno state has also expressed his willingness to pay the new N70,000 wage. The Borno state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Inuwa Yusuf, disclosed this in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune on July 21, 2024.
9. Seyi Makinde (Oyo state): Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Sulaimon Olanrewaju, 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. 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.
