The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has stated that state governments in the country have no valid reason to refuse to pay their civil servants a minimum wage exceeding ₦70,000.
Adewale Smatt-Oyerinde, the Director General of NECA, made the assertion during an interview on Channels Television, pointing to the increased revenue flow from the Federal Account to states.
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Smatt-Oyerinde emphasized that with the current economic hardship and rising cost of living, the argument that states lack the financial capacity to pay is no longer tenable.
“No state really has an excuse in the context of the current reality to stay at that ₦70,000, especially with people struggling with the price of petrol,” he said.
He further explained that the issue is not just about the amount, but its purchasing power, stating that the focus should be on measures that improve food security and shelter for workers.
The NECA DG stressed that workers are essential drivers of a state’s economy, and any action that improves their welfare will ultimately boost productivity.
He explained that a worker who is struggling with hunger and other basic needs cannot be expected to be productive.
He urged state governments to see their civil service as the “engine that drives the system” and treat them as valuable assets, in line with the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) principle that workers are not commodities.
The statement from NECA comes after several states have already moved to pay above the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, which was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in July 2024.
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In late August 2024, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma approved a new minimum wage of ₦104,000, while Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru announced a ₦90,000 minimum wage.
Other states that have increased their minimum wage above the federal benchmark include Lagos (₦85,000), Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Bayelsa (all at ₦80,000), and Osun (₦75,000).
