PAY N70,000 MINIMUM WAGE NOW, NECA CHIDES STATE GOVS
Owing to the increase in the federal allocation to all tiers of government, since the Bola Ahmed led administration, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, has chided state Governors who are yet to pay the N70,000 minimum wage to civil servants in their respective states and urged them to do so without further delay.
Speaking recently on Channels Television, the Director-General of NECA, Adewale Smatt-Oyerinde, stated that the increased in federal allocation to states should be a booster to the payment of minimum wage, which he said was signed into law. According to him, poor remuneration could hamper meaningful productivity at work. "If you are hungry or if you are not really composed, if you have issues with shelter or issues with transport, hardly would you be productive at work." Smatt-Oyerinde, said.
In response to public outcry and several protests by labour unions, President Bola Tinubu, had in July 2024, at the State House in Abuja, signed the minimum wage bill into law, shortly after the National Assembly passed the Minimum Wage Act, 2019, to increase the National Minimum Wage from N30,000 to N70,000.
Few days ago, the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, approved an increase in the minimum wage from N70,000 to N104,000 to improve the welfare of civil and public servants in the state. Also, the Ebonyi State government, within same period, had announced a new minimum wage of N90,000 for its workforce.
The NECA boss, Adewale Smatt-Oyerinde, while regretting that provision of some basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter remain a major challenge for civil servants, urged State governments to be serious about the welfare of civil and public servants in their state and should see them as partners in progress.
