Seventeen Governors Establish Committees For Implementing 70,000 Minimum Wage.

Seventeen state governors in Nigeria have formed committees to implement the new minimum wage of 70,000 for workers across the country. The states include Ogun, Ekiti, Sokoto, Kebbi, Osun, Enugu, Borno, Zamfara, Kogi, Kwara, Gombe, Kano, Taraba, Delta, Rivers, Jigawa, and Abia.

According to the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, civil servants will start receiving the new minimum wage from September. The Federal Government had already started paying the new minimum wage to its 1.2 million workers last Thursday.

Edo, Lagos, and Adamawa states have already begun paying the new minimum wage, while Anambra state plans to implement it by October. Emmanuel Fashe, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Adamawa, confirmed that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri started paying the new wage in August, ahead of other states.

However, a cautionary note has been raised by an NLC official regarding the celebration of this development. The official pointed out that the value of the 70,000 wage has already been diminished by rising costs, highlighting the erosion of purchasing power due to inflation.

In Imo State, discussions on the new wage implementation will begin shortly between the government and the NLC. Nasarawa State is ready to implement the new wage, following the steps of the Federal Government. Meanwhile, Ogun State is awaiting a committee report, while Ekiti State’s committee details remain undisclosed.

The state governments of Delta and Bayelsa have not finalized their plans yet. In Benue, although Governor Hyacinth Alia has promised to implement the new wage, the state has not established an implementation committee. Sokoto, Kebbi, Enugu, Zamfara, and Kogi states have formed committees to oversee the new minimum wage rollout.

Kwara State has set up a committee to work on consequential adjustments, but no payments have been made yet. Gombe State is waiting for a consequential adjustment table from the Federal Government. Kaduna is yet to begin negotiations for the new wage, while Kano is awaiting a committee report after Independence Day celebrations.

Taraba State has formed a committee led by the State Head of Service to handle the wage implementation process. Osun State is in the process of developing modalities for wage implementation, including extending palliatives for workers. Ondo State has declared readiness to pay the new wage but emphasizes the need to domesticate the law and structure its implementation.

In conclusion, while many states have taken steps to implement the new minimum wage, challenges such as rising costs and inflation continue to impact its value. The commitment of state governments to fully implement the new wage remains to be seen.