Checkout Magazine has gathered that 20 states have either started paying the new minimum wage or will commence payment from this week.
After negotiations by the government, the Organised Private Sector and the Labour Centres, the minimum wage was raised from N30,000 to N70,000.
The negotiations, spanning many weeks, produced an agreement on July 18.
The Bill giving effect to the agreement passed by the National Assembly was signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on July 29.
The Federal Government has commenced payment. Following negotiations at the sub-national level with labour leaders, states started announcing the new minimum wage.
Many states are paying higher than the Federal Government. The highest so far – N85,000 – is being paid by Lagos and Rivers states.
Bayelsa, Niger, Enugu and Akwa Ibom states are following closely with N80,000.
What the other states have agreed to pay or already paying are as follows: Abia N70,000, Adamawa N70,000, Anambra N70,000, Jigawa N70,000, Borno N70,000, Ebonyi N75,000, Edo N70,000, Delta N77,000, Gombe N71,000, Ogun N77,000, Kebbi N75,000, Ondo N73,000, Kogi N72,000 and Kwara N70,000.
Deputy Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Mr. Tommy Okon said any governor that was yet to agree on the new minimum wage by now is “insensitive to the plight of workers”.
