Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, affirmed governors’ openness to a new minimum wage during a visit to Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja. He emphasized their eagerness to await the final resolutions of the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage. Sule debunked notions of governor’s indifference, asserting their willingness to implement a new minimum wage.
Concerns have arisen regarding some states’ ability to afford any proposed wage increase, especially after Governor Godwin Obaseki raised Edo State’s minimum wage to ₦70,000 per month. Vice President Shettima urged the committee to expedite deliberations as the current ₦30,000 minimum wage expires in March 2024.
The House of Representatives initiated moves in 2017 to amend the National Minimum Wage Act for a mandatory review every five years. The Minimum Wage Act of 2019 empowers the Committee to determine a new wage, subject to National Assembly ratification.
Despite wage adjustments in response to the discontinuation of fuel subsidies in 2023, organized labor called for a comprehensive review in 2024 due to the rising cost of living. Sule highlighted Nasarawa state’s adherence to the current minimum wage since 2019 and its provision of additional benefits to workers.
Sule reiterated governors’ support for a proposed wage increase and their anticipation of the Committee’s decisions.
