The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has announced a new minimum wage of N70,000 for civil servants in the state during the inauguration of the Labour House on Monday.
The announcement comes amidst mounting pressure from labour unions in response to the Bola Tinubu administration’s removal of subsidy on petrol.
Obaseki, who spoke on the pressing needs of the state’s workforce, named the newly inaugurated Labour House after Adams Oshiomhole, the senator representing Edo North and former governor of the state.
Oshiomhole had supported Obaseki as his successor in 2016 but the duo later became political rivals after Oshiomhole allegedly resisted Obaseki’s bid to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for a second term.
This situation prompted Obaseki to defect to the then-opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he secured the party’s ticket and subsequently won the September 2020 governorship election.
Meanwhile, the new minimum wage regime in Edo State will take effect from May 1, 2024.
The removal of the petrol subsidy and the country’s forex crisis had driven up the cost of living for many citizens.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have been advocating for an upward review of the national minimum wage, which has remained at N30,000 since April 2019.