No Justification For States Not Paying N70K Minimum Wage, Says NECA DG

No state should have an excuse for not paying the N70,000 minimum wage—NECA

Adewale Oyerinde, the Director General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), has firmly stated that no state in the federation should have any excuse for not paying the newly approved N70,000 minimum wage.

Oyerinde emphasized that state governments have received ample support from the Federal Government to ensure the implementation of the new minimum wage, which was signed into law in July 2024.

The signing of this law increased the minimum wage for Nigerian workers from N30,000 to N70,000. Following President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the bill, several state governments promised to implement the wage increase, although some expressed concerns about their financial capabilities.

However, during an appearance on Arise TV’s ‘The Morning Show’ on January 7, 2025, Oyerinde refuted claims that some states could not afford to pay the new wage. He stressed that the N70,000 minimum wage is now a permanent fixture.

“We have shifted from the stage of hope, and now it’s time to confront reality. The reality is that N70,000 is the law, and all stakeholders, whether at the federal, state, or local level, must align with this law, except for those specifically exempted,” Oyerinde explained.

He further highlighted that the issue of funding should not be a concern, as the Federal Government has consistently increased allocations to state governments. “State governments’ allocations have risen proportionally, so with some fiscal discipline, no state should claim it cannot meet the N70,000 wage approved by the president.”

If any state governor fails to implement the new minimum wage, Oyerinde warned that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) may have to adopt new strategies to ensure compliance.