Eight months after the Federal Government’s implementation of a N35,000 wage award, alongside the N30,000 minimum wage for workers, 15 states have yet to adopt the policy, while seven states paid briefly and then stopped.
This wage award was introduced to alleviate the economic hardship faced by citizens, pending the establishment of a new minimum wage.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has criticized the non-compliance of these states, describing it as a display of insensitivity.
The NLC lamented the suffering of workers due to what it termed as the government’s anti-poor policies.
Currently, 15 states have adopted wage awards or salary increments ranging from N10,000 to N40,000. However, states including Delta, Niger, Plateau, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Nasarawa initially complied but have since halted payments.
President Tinubu’s Plea
In March, during a visit to Minna, Niger State, President Bola Tinubu urged the 36 state governors to commence wage award payments to ease the country’s economic strain.
Speaking to AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Tinubu said, “I have been paying wage awards pending determination of the new minimum wage. Let all the sub-nationals start paying that.
The wage award, with whatever they are taking now, will relieve the public. I am not giving an order, I am appealing to you sub-nationals. It’s a relief to the people.”
Despite this appeal, several states remain non-compliant. Delta State, for example, has only set up a committee to review wage-related issues. Rivers and Akwa Ibom states are awaiting a formal declaration from the Federal Government.
Partial Compliance
Niger State paid N20,000 once as a palliative, and Katsina State paid N15,000 twice. Nasarawa State paid N10,000 twice to workers and N5,000 for four months to retirees. Bauchi State paid N10,000 during the Sallah celebration and provided food items at other times, while Plateau State paid N12,000 monthly for six months.
States Paying Wage Awards
Some states have fully adopted the wage awards. Lagos, Edo, Bayelsa, and Imo are among those consistently paying their workers. Edo State, under Governor Godwin Obaseki, announced a new minimum wage of N70,000 starting in May.
Bayelsa State approved wage awards varying from N20,000 to N100,000 based on workers’ grades. Imo State increased the minimum wage to N40,000 with an additional N10,000.
In Enugu, Governor Peter Mbah has been paying N25,000 to state employees and N10,000 to local government workers since December 2023. Ebonyi and Ondo states have added N10,000 and N35,000 respectively to workers’ wages.
Governors Not Paying Are Insensitive – Labour
An anonymous NLC official criticized non-compliant governors, stating: “Governors that are not complying are mainly those who have continued to demonstrate serious disdain and contempt for the plight of workers who create wealth in their states.
It is insensitive for a governor who has adjusted upwards the wages of political appointees in their states to believe that workers do not have the right to have a fair share of the resources of the state.”
The official highlighted that despite increased revenue from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) due to the hike in PMS prices, many governors prioritize other projects over workers’ welfare, which they view as a waste rather than an investment.
