States across Nigeria are scrambling to meet the December 1 deadline for implementing the N70,000 minimum wage, as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) prepares for potential strike actions.
While most states have complied with the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act, three—Katsina, Zamfara, and Cross River—are yet to finalize implementation, raising concerns of widespread labor unrest.
Out of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, 33 have either approved or exceeded the baseline N70,000 wage. Lagos and Rivers stand out, offering N85,000 and promising further increases to N100,000 by 2025.
Meanwhile, states like Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Oyo have settled on N80,000, and others such as Delta and Ogun agreed to N77,000.
However, workers in Cross River staged a warning strike earlier this week, criticizing Governor Bassey Otu’s earlier announcement of a N40,000 wage as inadequate.
Civil servants expressed frustration over stalled negotiations, accusing the government of delaying tactics. The NLC’s Cross River Chairman, Gregory Ulayi, has warned of an indefinite strike if the issue remains unresolved.
“If the government does not negotiate and do the needful, we will embark on a total strike because it is a directive across the country,” Ulayi told The PUNCH
However, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Otu, Nsa Gill, told our correspondent that the state government had set up a committee to negotiate with the labour leaders, as part of last-ditch efforts to prevent the looming strike on Monday.
He said that despite the nationwide deadline for the implementation of the minimum wage, the Otu-led government was working to ensure payment of a minimum wage of N70,000 or even above.
“The state government has a negotiating team and they are at work. Though, they are yet to reach an agreement as at today (Thursday). The government is ready to pay the N70,000 new minimum wage, if not beyond,” he stated.
“We recognise the fact that there is a national deadline from the labour union, which is slated for December 1, 2024, for all the states to pay the new minimum wage.
“We are trying to see how to build a stronger economic foundation that can make us pay a living wage to our civil servants. Until the team finishes the negotiation, the amount will not be announced. Right now, they are still on the negotiation table for an amicable resolution.”
Similarly, Katsina’s government has yet to finalize its plans, despite a committee set up to explore the implementation of the new wage. Sources indicate ongoing negotiations, but with the deadline looming, uncertainty persists.
Zamfara, on the other hand, claims to be nearing completion of its process. Mustafa Jafaru Kaura, media aide to Governor Dauda Lawal, affirmed the state’s commitment, stating that “modalities are being finalized to implement the N70,000 wage.”
