Many States Fail to Implement New Minimum Wage, Leaving Workers in Agony
Labour Unions Criticize Uneven Wage Adjustments Across States
By Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Nearly a year after most Nigerian states began negotiating new national minimum wage structures, only a handful have fully implemented the agreed payments, leaving workers frustrated and short-changed.
A document tracking the implementation status reveals that while most states negotiated new wage benchmarks ranging from N70,000 to N85,000, actual payment remains inconsistent nationwide.
Video credit to: noahfrantz
Implementation Status Across States
As of May 2025, only Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano, Lagos, FCT, and Rivers have commenced full payment. Many other states missed their scheduled start dates in October and December 2024 without providing clear timelines for implementation.
Oyo State planned implementation for January 2025, but reports remain unclear, while Enugu State has only partially implemented the new wage without concluding negotiations.
Wage Disparities Among States
Lagos and Rivers lead with N85,000 as the new minimum wage, already in effect. Akwa Ibom, Oyo, and Niger follow with N80,000. Meanwhile, northern states including Zamfara, Yobe, Sokoto, and Borno have set the new wage at N70,000, with some showing no signs of implementation.
Labour’s Strong Criticism
Chris Onyeka, National Deputy General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), condemned the inconsistent implementation, calling some state government practices deceptive and unfair to workers.
“While some states are implementing appropriately, some are implementing but not appropriately, while others are not implementing at all,” Onyeka stated.
He criticized flat-rate adjustments: “If somebody is earning N200,000 and you add N40,000, that’s not a consequential adjustment. It cannot be the same across the board.”
Background of the Wage Struggle
The push for higher wages gained momentum in early 2024 following nationwide protests by NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC), citing rising inflation and deteriorating living standards that made the previous N30,000 minimum wage unsustainable.
After negotiations with federal and state governments, most states agreed to new wage structures with staggered implementation timelines. However, many commitments remain unfulfilled as of May 2025, prompting NLC warnings of potential nationwide strikes if delays continue.
Labour officials emphasize that adjustments must reflect workers’ grade levels and existing salary scales, not uniform additions. The current disparities threaten to destabilize labor relations across the country.
For more information, read the original article on The Sun.