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Editorial
September 9, 2025 by Editorial
- The two states have demonstrated the true spirit of minimum wage
The debate for a new national minimum wage seems to have returned earlier than the statutory three-year cycle, and Nigerian workers have the pro-active states of Imo and Ebonyi to thank for that.
Last year, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu moved the national minimum wage from N35,000.00 to N70,000.00 per month. But, last week, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma increased the state minimum wage to N104, 000.00 while Ebonyi State governor, Francis Nwifuru, moved the state’s minimum wage to N90,000.00.
Imo State also increased the minimum wage of medical doctors from N215,000.00 to N503,000.00, and teachers in tertiary institutions from N119,000.00 to N222,000.00.
We commend the two states for reflecting the increase in income by states in the wages of workers, amongst other things they are doing.
Speaking on Thursday at the seventh quadrennial delegates’ conference of the National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW), president of Nigeria Labour Congress ,(NLC), Joe Ajaero, said: “So many people were asking me, is this real? I said, this is a report from Imo State so far. I have reached out to him. Although he told me about it before now. It is real. That is the highest and, to a very large extent, commendable.”
The NLC president argued that: “If the states have the capacity to pay N100,000 and above, and considering that Imo State is not the highest in terms of revenue, it then means others are encouraged to do more.” He went further: “That is the whole essence of minimum wage. Minimum wage is the least; states can do better. I think this is an initiative that other governors are supposed to follow.”
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Indeed, many states can pay better than what they are currently paying, and we urge them to do so. Expectedly, many state labour unions are already pressuring their state governments to emulate Imo and Ebonyi states.
Edo State Chapter of the NLC which counted their members lucky last Workers Day, when the state governor, Monday Okpebholo, moved the state’s minimum wage to N75,000.00, is already planning to engage the governor for a more meaningful increase.
Also, the chairman of the NLC in Bayelsa State, Simeon Barnabas Bay, said the congress would consult widely before meeting the state governor for a review.
However, Taraba State Head of Service (HoS), Dr Ahmed Kara, said the state has no money to effect an increase.
The debate clearly shows that states are not equally endowed, just as the cost of living is also different across the states. For the Enugu State Chapter of the NLC, the chairman, Fabian Nwigbo, said: “What is crucial to us is the consequential adjustment and the domestic servant allowance for deputy directors. These are the ones we’re currently discussing.”
He went further: “In some states, what they’re doing is to add N20,000 to N70,000 to make it N90,000. But the money will not reflect on what is paid to senior workers because there’s no consequential adjustment on the minimum wage payment.
”We consider the debate about wages healthy, as states across the country presently earn more from the Federation Account, since the removal of fuel subsidy.
Last June, the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared N1.818 trillion, compared to the N907.054 billion, shared in June, 2023, to the three tiers of government. Again, in July 2023, the FAAC shared N1.100 trillion, while for July, 2025, it shared N2.001 trillion to the three tiers.
Clearly, the Tinubu administration has achieved fiscal stability, and the federal, states and local governments are earning more money from the federation account.
Many states have also significantly increased their internally generated revenue, and are also executing projects without borrowing. With states increasing minimum wage without waiting for the Federal Government, we can say the national economy is on the redound.
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