The National President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Alhaji Haruna Kankara, has called out about 20 state governors for delaying the implementation of the new N70,000 minimum wage for local government workers and primary school teachers. These states include Yobe, Gombe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross River, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Borno, and others.
Kankara responded to questions from The PUNCH about the status of the minimum wage following the signing of the Minimum Wage Act, 2024. While many states—such as Lagos, Rivers, and Bayelsa—have begun to pay the new wage, several others have not fulfilled their promises. Kankara expressed frustration, stating, “We have around 20 states that have not started implementing the new minimum wage. Some have started paying state workers but are leaving out local government employees and teachers.”
The new N70k minimum wage was approved by President Bola Tinubu on July 29, 2024, after months of negotiations, raising the wage by 133% from the previous N30,000. Kankara highlighted that some governors have promised to implement the wage but have failed to deliver, urging them to do right by the workers.
In Kwara State, the new minimum wage implementation for local government staff started in October 2024, but NULGE President Seun Oyinlade noted that high taxes imposed by the state have reduced workers’ take-home pay. He explained that although the government began paying the new wage, it only provided a three-month tax relief that has since expired.
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Meanwhile, a teacher in Sokoto confirmed that the new N70k minimum wage is being paid to local government workers and teachers, although the rollout faced initial delays. In contrast, teachers in Yobe lamented that they have not received even the previous N30,000 minimum wage, appealing for federal intervention.
Teachers in the FCT have gone on multiple strikes, protesting the non-implementation of the N70k minimum wage. Their latest strike, which began on March 24, 2025, disrupted school activities and was prompted by dissatisfaction with the councils’ failure to adhere to previous agreements regarding the new wage.
The union emphasized that the governors delaying the N70k minimum wage are imposing undue hardship on teachers and local government workers. A communique issued by the teachers’ union outlined their demands for immediate implementation of the new wage and payment of salary arrears.
The Secretary-General of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Mohammed Abubakar, stated that state commissioners of finance are hindering the direct payment of allocations to councils, further complicating the financial situation impacting local government workers.
As pressure mounts on these governors delaying N70k minimum wage, unions continue to advocate for timely and fair payments to support the livelihoods of local government employees and teachers across the country.
