35 States Reject N100,000 Minimum Wage, Cite Inability to Pay

35 state governors announce that they are incapable of paying N100,000 minimum wage

A minimum salary of more exceeding N70,000 is not being considered by 35 state governors.

The governors examined the state of the economy during a meeting on Thursday, June 6, in Abuja, and concluded that any sum over N70,000 would not be both cheap and sustainable.

The N100,000 alternative that some people had put forth was rejected by them.

The governors met under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), and sources from the meeting disclosed that they deliberated about possibilities that ranged from the N60,000 that the Federal Government had previously provided to organized labor before the strike to the N70,000 that the Edo State Government was presently paying.

The governors formed a commission under the direction of Hope Uzodimma, the governor of Imo State, after they were unable to agree on a consistent amount.

The Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), which is made up of governors chosen by the All Progressives Congress (APC), is chaired by Uzodimma.

Governor of Kwara State and NGF Chairman Abdul Rahman Abdul Razaq had earlier stated that states would only accept a minimum wage that is both cheap and sustainable, which is in line with the governors' stance at the conference.

“We decided to consider options between N60,000 and N70,000 a month after deliberating on the minimum wage,” a meeting source stated. We were unable to agree on a specific salary rate for the states.

“Eventually, a committee, to be led by Governor Uzodimma, was mandated to look at all presentations and make recommendations.

“The NGF will soon reconvene to consider the Uzodimma Committee report.”

The source added: “No state can afford to pay a N100,000 minimum wage and we have ruled out this benchmark.

“Records available to us indicated that some states are still paying N18,000 because they are unable to afford N30,000 (which came into effect in 2019). Only a state has adopted a N70, 000 wage.”