The Niger State Government has approved the sum of N80,000 as the new minimum wage for civil servants at the state and local government levels.
The governor stated this shortly after meeting with leaders of the organised labour at Government House Minna, where he disclosed that the payment of the new salary structure will commence in November.
He explained that the decision was taken after an extensive discussion between the government team and organised labour.
According to him: “We have decided to approve the sum of N80,000 as the minimum for both state and local governments. The N80,000 approved is sustainable and we are sure that as our agriculture thrives, we will still upgrade very soon.”
Bago also announced plans of the state government to set up civil service farms and encouraged civil servants to start going into agricultural production.
He said: “We are creating civil service farms so that our civil servants can be productive and for that, we can even get to one million as the minimum wage but for now, we are starting with N80,000.”
He stated that the minimum wage will start in November “because we have already paid for this month (October).”
The state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Abdulkarim Idris Lafene, in his response, told journalists that N80,000 is not commensurate with the economy and cost of living currently.
“We are hoping that the minimum wage will get to one million naira going by what Mr Governor said,” he stated.
DAILY POST recalls that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law on July 29, 2024, after meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.