The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has raised alarm over the delay in the implementation of the newly approved N70,000 minimum wage for local government workers and primary school teachers, revealing that around 20 states have yet to roll out the wage increase.
According to Alhaji Haruna Kankara, the National President of NULGE, states like Yobe, Gombe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross River, Borno, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, are among those still lagging behind in implementing the wage law.
While some states have commenced paying the new minimum wage to state workers, local government workers and primary school teachers are still left out in many areas. Kankara emphasized that despite repeated engagements with these state governments, many of them have failed to honor their promises to implement the new wage for these critical sectors. However, he remains hopeful that the situation will soon be resolved.
The N70,000 minimum wage was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on July 29, 2024, marking a 133% increase from the previous N30,000. This wage adjustment came as part of efforts to alleviate the severe economic challenges Nigerians face, and it primarily targets local government workers and primary school teachers, who are among the most affected by inflation and rising costs of living.
“We truly have the challenge of so many states, like about 20 that have not started implementing the new minimum wage,” Kankara said. “Some states have started paying the state workers but have left out the local government workers and primary school teachers. We will continue to engage and appeal to them to do the right thing.”
Meanwhile, the issue of local government autonomy has also become a point of contention, with NULGE calling on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to facilitate the opening of bank accounts for local governments to ensure proper implementation of the wage law. According to Kankara, the lack of clear communication from the CBN on this matter is another hurdle for local government workers to fully benefit from the wage increase.
In Kwara State, the new wage law has been implemented since October 2024 for local government workers. However, the Kwara State chapter of NULGE has raised concerns over the high tax deductions imposed on workers, which have significantly reduced their take-home pay. The state government initially provided a three-month tax holiday, but that relief expired in December, with tax deductions resuming in January. The state’s Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has written to the government, requesting an extension of the tax relief.
“We are happy that the new wage law was implemented in Kwara, but the tax deductions have greatly affected the workers,” said Seun Oyinlade, NULGE’s Kwara state president. “The government gave us a three-month tax holiday, but since December, taxes have been deducted again. We hope the government will approve an extension of the tax holiday.”
Elsewhere, in Sokoto State, both local government workers and teachers have begun receiving the N70,000 minimum wage, although the payments were delayed due to allocation issues with the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). Abdullahi Umar, a teacher in the state, confirmed that the new wage was implemented from January 2025, with an additional N50,000 added to their previous salary.
However, in other states like Zamfara, Yobe, and Borno, some teachers and local government workers have yet to see any increase in their salaries, with many still waiting to benefit from the previous N30,000 wage, which was set in 2019.
Teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been particularly vocal in their protests, with some claiming they have been neglected by the FCT administration. Teachers in the Bwari Area Council recently went on strike for several days, demanding the implementation of the N70,000 wage. The FCT’s teachers and local government workers have now held multiple strikes, with their most recent walkout in March 2025, marking the fourth strike in less than five months. They have appealed to the federal government to intervene and address the delays.
One teacher in Yobe, who requested anonymity, lamented that the state has not even implemented the previous N30,000 wage, making it impossible to comprehend how they will be able to access the N70,000. “We haven’t even benefited from the N30,000 minimum wage, how can we expect to receive N70,000? We are asking the president to intervene and ensure we get what is rightfully ours,” the teacher said.
The NULGE continues to press state governments to meet their obligations and ensure that the minimum wage is fully implemented across all sectors, particularly for local government workers and primary school teachers who are facing the harshest economic pressures.
As the nationwide delay continues, the pressure on governors to prioritize the welfare of these workers intensifies, with many unions urging swift action to avert further industrial actions. With several states still holding out on the implementation of the wage, the growing discontent among affected workers may soon lead to larger-scale protests if their demands are not met.
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