FCT, Abuja – The federal government had assured that many state governments and the federal capital territory (FCT) administration will implement the new national minimum wage by January 2025.
Muhammad Dingyadi, the minister of labour and employment, gave this assurance in December 2024 during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCN) at his office in Abuja.
While Sokoto, Imo, and Akwa Ibom state governments and the federal capital territory (FCT) have set January ending for civil servants to receive a raise in salaries, workers in Cross River and Ebonyi states, among others, are not certain about when their government will commence paying new emoluments.
Rivers, Lagos, Edo, Kogi, Ogun, among others, started paying the new wage in 2024. Some other states, however, agreed to begin payment in 2025.
Speaking to The Punch in a report published on Sunday, January 26, Hakeem Ambali, the NLC national treasurer, called on state governors not only to implement the new minimum wage. Ambali also urged authorities to settle outstanding arrears, stressing that workers should not bear the burden of delayed negotiations.
While describing the payment of the minimum wage as a legal obligation that must take effect as required by law, the NLC official expressed confidence that other governors who had yet to pay would honour their commitment in the interest of industrial harmony.
His words:
“Labour is hopeful that these governors will pay the arrears and the new wage because it is a function of the law and it must take effect. I believe they (governors) will honour the agreement in the best interest of industrial peace and harmony.”
- Imo
- Sokoto
- Akwa Ibom
Minimum wage: Why good pay is important in Nigeria
Amid an economic crisis in Nigeria, many workers could not meet their basic needs. The inadequacy of the previous minimum wage sparked widespread discontent and demands for an increase.
Naturenex reports that the minimum wage is the lowest compensation that an employer is statutorily required to pay the lowest-paid worker in its establishment within a specific period, to ensure a reasonable standard of living.
Since 1981, Nigeria has introduced five national minimum wage acts, with the most recent being the Minimum Wage Amendment Bill 2024. This amendment has increased the minimum wage for workers from N30,000 to N70,000.
