As the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threatens to go on strike on Monday, December 2, due to non-implementation of the new N70,000 minimum wage for workers, several states are making last-minute efforts to comply with the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act. Among the states that have yet to implement the wage increase are Katsina, Cross River, and Zamfara, which now face the potential disruption of labor activities unless they act swiftly.
According to reports, 33 states, along with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have already complied with the new wage law, which mandates a minimum monthly pay of N70,000 for workers. This compliance ensures that millions of Nigerian workers will benefit from the wage increase, which aims to ease the financial burden on public sector employees in the country.
In fact, many states have gone beyond the N70,000 threshold, offering even higher wages to their workers. Lagos and Rivers states stand out by offering the highest pay, with Lagos offering N85,000 as the starting wage. Lagos state also announced plans to further increase wages starting in the first quarter of 2025, with some workers set to earn up to N100,000 per month.
Other states that have shown a commitment to improving workers’ wages include Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Oyo, and Niger, all of which have agreed to pay their workers N80,000 monthly. Delta and Ogun states have set their new minimum wage at N77,000, while several other states, including Ebonyi, Osun, Benue, and Kebbi, have settled on N75,000.
In addition to these states, Ondo has approved N73,000, while Kogi and Kaduna are offering N72,000. States like Kano and Gombe have agreed to pay N71,000, and a number of others, including Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Jigawa, Borno, Edo, Kwara, Nasarawa, Taraba, Ekiti, Bauchi, Yobe, Imo, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory, have all chosen to implement the N70,000 wage.
However, despite these significant developments, three states—Katsina, Cross River, and Zamfara—have not yet implemented the new minimum wage law. This delay has raised concerns among labor leaders, especially as the NLC has warned that a strike will be inevitable if the wage increase is not put into effect immediately.
The NLC has been vocal about its demands, warning that failure to implement the wage could lead to industrial actions. If these states do not meet the deadline, workers in the affected areas could face a shutdown of government services and other labor disruptions, which would impact the daily lives of residents in those regions.
The situation has prompted state governments in Katsina, Cross River, and Zamfara to take swift action in a bid to avert the impending strike. As the deadline approaches, these states are working to finalize agreements and ensure that their workers receive the new wage increase.
Peace OdekunleNovember 29, 20242 Mins read
