Nigerian Governor Speaks on New Minimum Wage Plan For Workers

• Governor Umar Namadi said Jigawa state has not agreed on any figure as the new minimum wage with workers
• Namadi said his government has not started minimum wage negotiations with labour in the state
• He disclosed that his government will announce a new minimum wage after negotiating with workers in the state

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy

Dutse, Jigawa state - Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa state said his government will negotiate with civil servants in the state irrespective of the amount President Bola Tinubu-led federal government decides as the new minimum wage.

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Tinubu administration announced N62,000 as the amount that the government will pay as the new minimum wage to organised labour.

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Namadi argued that it is a practice in Jigawa state for labour and stakeholders to work together and agree on a figure.

The governor stated this while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, June 28.

He said Jigawa state has not agreed on any figure as the new minimum wage because they have not started the negotiation with labour in the state.

“We cannot say what we can offer because it is a matter of negotiation.

“Jigawa has not agreed on any figure because we have not even started the negotiation.

“We put up a tripartite committee including the labour and stakeholders and we work together and then we agree on a figure.”

Legit.ng also reported that governors of the 36 states of the federation disagreed with the federal government over its initial N60,000 minimum wage proposal.

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The state governors had also rejected the N60,000 minimum wage proposal, stating that was is not sustainable.

They argued that state governments would be forced to spend their FAAC allocations on just paying salaries.

Minimum wage: FG, Labour to decide

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the federal government’s negotiating team and leaders of the national assembly reportedly adopted N70,000 as the new national minimum wage.

A member of the tripartite committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Tinubu is expected to forward N62,000 but the lawmaker will increase it to N70,000.

The source added that the approach was adopted since Governor Godwin Obaseki has started paying the N70,000 minimum wage in Edo state.

Proofreading by James Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng