Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, and Niger states have confirmed their readiness to pay the newly approved minimum wage effective from November.

It was gathered that Niger State has reached an agreement with the labour union to pay N80,000 while Kaduna State said it will pay N72,000. Kano and Plateau states said they will pay N71,000 and N70,000 respectively.

In September, the Federal Government began payment of the new salary and its consequential adjustments to public servants across all levels of the federal civil service.

President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law on July 29 after meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, in October, approved N72,000 as minimum wage for civil servants in the state.

The Governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Malam Ibraheem Musa said the new minimum wage would take effect from November.

Governor Sani said, ?The new wage increase is part of the governor?s efforts to uplift the lives of civil servants and improve living standards for vulnerable and underserved communities in Kaduna State.?

He added: ?Kaduna State Government will continue to implement measures that bring relief to our citizens. With the support of our people, we are determined to make Kaduna a model for social welfare interventions.?

Kano to pay N71,000

The Kano State government will start paying its civil servants the new minimum wage in their November salaries.

Governor Abba Yusuf and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kano State, led by Comrade Kabiru Inuwa, have agreed on N71,000 as a new minimum wage in the state.

The NLC Chairman (Comrade Inuwa) has told The Nation in confidence that: ?Kano State civil servants will be paid their N71,000 minimum wage in this month (November).?

Inuwa said the union is also negotiating with the state government on the payment of arrears and extension to retired workers.

?We are in negotiations over payment of areas. For retirees, we are also on their matter. We are holding talks,? he said.

The NLC state chairman disclosed that there are some workers in the state whose minimum wages were as low as N5,000 but the union was in negotiation to improve their wages. ?We are on top of all this,? he said.

Yusuf had stated that the new minimum wage of N71,000 would be effective this month (November ending) when he received the Public Service Negotiation Committee Report headed by the state Head of Civil Service in his office.

Yusuf noted that implementation of the new minimum wage would increase the state?s monthly salary obligations by over N6 billion, adding that ?additional N7 billion is needed for the 44 local government councils.?

He emphasised that his approval of N71,000 as new minimum wage was a courageous decision, which according to him, exemplifies ?commitment to social justice, economic growth and enhanced living standards for the state workers and citizens.

?Our administration is deeply committed to prioritising the welfare of our civil servants, who tirelessly provide efficient, effective, and quality services to our people despite limited financial resources,? he noted.

Yusuf emphasised that Kano has one of the largest workforces in Nigeria, reflective of its population and specific local needs, despite the state?s financial constraints and the low Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) it inherited.

He lamented that despite the financial constraints, the previous administration undertook a large-scale hiring initiative whereby 13,000 individuals were employed without due diligence, however, in recognition of the importance of essential human resources in serving citizens, he retained over 12,000 of them in the state civil service, which he lamented, has added burden to the state?s salary obligations.

Bago, NLC agree on N80,000

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has agreed alongside the state NLC to pay N80,000 as the new minimum wage. The wage would begin by November.

A Minimum Wage Committee which consists of both government and Labour representatives has been set up by the state government.

The committee has not yet finalized the new salary table for Niger State.

Mutfwang approves N70,000, orders immediate implementation

The Plateau State Governor, Barr Caleb Mutfwang also approved N70,000.00 as the minimum wage for civil servants in the state.

The Governor also directed the immediate implementation of the approved amount to all categories of civil servants on the state payroll.

The approval was contained in a press release signed by the Head of Civil Service, Mr Steven Pam Godons.

The press release noted, ?Following the agreement of the signing of the Consequential adjustment on salaries on the 13th of November 2024, the executive governor Barr Caleb Mutfwang has approved the immediate implementation of N70,000.00 minimum wage for workers in the state.

?The implementation is a demonstration of the governor?s commitment to prioritizing the wellbeing of the state workforce in the acknowledgement of their invaluable role in driving the State?s developmental goals.

?As the new wage policy is administered, Civil Servants are encouraged to embrace this gesture by recommitting to their duties with renewed dedication and zeal in order to foster a culture of productivity and excellence in the service of the state.? (The Nation)

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