₦71,500 Minimum Wage: Gombe Government, NLC Sign Historic MoU

The Gombe State Government has approved a new minimum wage of ₦71,500 for civil servants, set to take effect from October 2024. This development follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Gombe State chapter.

Speaking after the signing, the NLC Chairman, Yusuf Aish-Bello, confirmed that the new minimum wage would see workers on Grade Level 01/Step 1 receiving a salary of ₦71,551. He highlighted that this new wage structure marks a significant improvement over the previous national minimum wages of ₦18,000 and ₦30,000.

Aish-Bello explained that a major focus of the negotiations was the basic salary component, as it plays a crucial role in determining retirement benefits. “We have achieved over 60 percent of our target, with a basic salary of ₦42,000 for workers on Grade Level 01. This amount will be subject to consequential adjustments as the grade levels increase, with the highest quantum being applied to the basic pay,” he said.

He added that the remaining 40 percent of the wage is allocated to allowances, resulting in the overall minimum wage of ₦71,551.

Regarding the issue of arrears, Aish-Bello mentioned that the state government had already implemented a ₦10,000 monthly palliative for workers since September 2023, which the labour unions took into consideration during the negotiations.

The Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Manassah Jatau, who chaired the state’s minimum wage committee, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to workers’ welfare. He confirmed that the new wage structure would be implemented starting from October.