Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has approved a new minimum wage of N77,000 for the lowest-paid workers in the state, effective immediately.
This announcement followed a meeting between the state government, led by Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, and leaders from the Organised Labour in Ogun State, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC).
During the meeting, Talabi stated that the governor mandated that no worker in the state should earn less than N77,000 starting in October.
He added that Abiodun is committed to improving the welfare of the state’s residents and is taking proactive measures to alleviate their hardships.
Talabi further urged the organised private sector to follow suit, highlighting that their employees also face economic challenges.
He called for private companies to engage in discussions with stakeholders to establish a suitable minimum wage for their sectors.
Additionally, he said Abiodun plans to set up a monitoring team to ensure proper implementation of the wage policy in the private sector, guaranteeing that no worker is underpaid.
State NLC Chairman Hameed Benco expressed satisfaction with the governor’s approval of the N77,000 minimum wage, noting that this rate is the highest in Nigeria.
He pointed out that other states are paying lower amounts, such as N70,000 or N70,250, and mentioned that adjustments to other sectoral salaries would follow suit. Benco also highlighted the government’s decision to exempt the new basic salary from taxation.
Both Akeem Lasisi of the TUC and Isa Olude of the JNC praised the government for its commitment to workers’ welfare, indicating that further adjustments for pensioners and other related matters would be announced after consulting relevant stakeholders.
Ogun State Head of Service Kehinde Onasanya stated that the approval of the minimum wage reflects the governor’s responsiveness and sensitivity to the plight of the workers and the general populace of the state.
Onasanya expressed optimism that the gestures by the government will further boost the morale of the workers in committing themselves to the implementation of the government’s policies.
