N70k Minimum Wage: States Set for October Commencement of Payment, Details Surface

• Some of the 36 states seem to be running against time as the October 31 agreed date for them to commence the payment of the N70,000 national minimum wage comes nearer
• Although many of the states have finalised talks with organised labour on the amount they will pay, the rest are yet to finalise the procedure
• Legit.ng reports that only Edo and Adamawa states have commenced payment of N70,000 to the least-paid workers in their various territories

Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering politics, governance, and elections in Nigeria.

FCT, Abuja - The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other key labour unions, have given all governors in the country an October deadline to implement the new minimum wage.

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Failure to do so, Legit.ng undertstands, might lead to strike action.

Vanguard newspaper on Sunday, October 20, quoted a labour leader saying:

”We are waiting for the federal government to meet the state governors on the matter since the federal government has agreed to meet with the governors over it.

“We resolved to wait till the end of October before deciding what next steps to take. If at the end of October, the situation remains as it is today, then we shall take appropriate action.”

Minimum wage: NLC president gives update

Meanwhile, reviewing the minimum wage issue on Saturday night, October 19, in a chat with The Nation, NLC president, Joe Ajaero, confirmed that the agreement reached between government and labour was that delay in the payment of the new minimum wage should not go beyond October.

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Minimum wage: Only 2 Nigerian states paying N70,000, details emerge

However, Ajaero stated that since the law on the new dispensation took effect in July, workers are entitled to arrears.

Legit.ng reports that the purpose of minimum wages is to protect Nigerian workers against unduly low pay. Minimum wages help ensure a just and equitable share of the fruits of progress to all, and a minimum living wage to all who are employed and in need of such protection.

Minimum wage: Kwara governor approves N70,000

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Kwara state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, approved the new minimum wage of N70,000, as announced by the FG, effective immediately from October 2024.

According to the statement, Kwara's finance commissioner, Hauwa Nuru, stated that the approved minimum wage will be implemented across the state's public service, including consequential adjustments to relevant salary structures.

Source: Legit.ng