Governors are not considering a minimum wage higher than N70,000, sources revealed last night. At a meeting in Abuja, state leaders reviewed the current economic situation and concluded that anything above N70,000 would be unaffordable and unsustainable.
The governors, meeting under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), dismissed the idea of a N100,000 minimum wage, which had been suggested by some parties. Instead, they deliberated on options between the N60,000 offered to Labour by the Federal Government before the recent strike and the N70,000 already implemented by the Edo State Government.
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However, the governors failed to reach a consensus on a uniform amount. Consequently, a committee led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was established to explore the issue further. Uzodimma also chairs the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), representing governors from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This decision aligns with earlier statements by NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who emphasized that states would only agree to a minimum wage that is “affordable and sustainable.”
A source from the meeting disclosed, “After deliberation on the minimum wage, we decided to consider options between N60,000 and N70,000 a month. We could not reach a concrete decision on the wage rate for states. Eventually, a committee led by Governor Uzodimma was mandated to review all presentations and make recommendations. The NGF will soon reconvene to consider the Uzodimma Committee report.”
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The source also highlighted the financial constraints faced by many states: “No state can afford to pay a N100,000 minimum wage, and we have ruled out this benchmark. Records indicate that some states are still paying N18,000 because they cannot afford the N30,000 minimum wage introduced in 2019. Only one state has adopted a N70,000 wage.”