Eight months after the Federal Government introduced a ₦35,000 wage award in addition to the ₦30,000 minimum wage, urging state governments to follow suit, 15 states have yet to comply, while seven states briefly paid and then stopped.
The wage award was intended to alleviate economic hardship pending the implementation of a new minimum wage.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) condemned the refusal of some states to pay the wage award, labeling it as highly insensitive and highlighting the suffering of workers due to the government’s anti-poor policies.
States’ Compliance with Wage Awards
Fifteen states are paying sums ranging from ₦10,000 to ₦40,000 as wage awards or salary increments. However, several states have not paid the award, including one in the South-East, four in the South-South, three in the North-East, two in the North-Central, and five in the North-West.
States that paid the award briefly but stopped include Delta, Niger, Plateau, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Nasarawa. Meanwhile, states that are currently paying include Lagos, Edo, Bayelsa, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti, Kano, Kwara, Cross River, and Taraba.
Presidential Appeal for Wage Awards
In March, President Bola Tinubu urged all 36 state governors to start paying wage awards during a working visit to Minna, Niger State. He emphasized that this measure would help alleviate hardship in the country.
States Yet to Pay Wage Awards
Despite the President’s plea, many states have not commenced paying wage awards. Delta State plans to set up a committee to address wage-related issues. Rivers and Akwa Ibom are awaiting an official declaration from the Federal Government. Rivers State is also awaiting the outcome of tripartite negotiations on the new minimum wage before making a decision.
Partial and Stopped Payments
Several states have made partial payments but subsequently stopped. For example, Niger State paid ₦20,000 once, while Katsina paid ₦15,000 twice. Bauchi and Nasarawa made limited payments during specific periods, such as Ramadan and Sallah.
Ongoing Payments in Some States
Some states continue to provide wage awards or other forms of financial relief:
- Lagos: ₦35,000
- Edo: ₦70,000 minimum wage
- Bayelsa: Wage awards up to ₦100,000 for senior cadres
- Imo: Additional ₦10,000
- Enugu: ₦25,000 for state civil servants
- Ebonyi: Additional ₦10,000
- Ondo: ₦35,000 for workers and ₦10,000 for pensioners
- Osun: ₦15,000 for workers and ₦10,000 for pensioners
- Ogun: ₦10,000 wage award
- Oyo: ₦25,000 for workers and ₦15,000 for pensioners
- Kwara: ₦10,000 wage award
- Anambra: ₦12,000 for four months
Labour’s Response
An NLC official criticized non-compliant governors, accusing them of showing disdain for workers and prioritizing other projects over worker welfare. He highlighted that the increased revenues from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) due to higher petrol prices should benefit workers, advocating for fair and timely compensation to improve productivity and state welfare.
The NLC continues to push for full compliance with the wage award across all states, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing worker welfare amid ongoing economic challenges.
