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The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has approved the sum of ₦77,000 as the minimum wage for the lowest worker in the state.
The state government announced the development in a statement on Monday, October 14, 2024, following a meeting between the government representatives led by the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, and the leadership of the Organized Labour.
According to Talabi, the meeting was at the instance of Governor Abiodun, who he stated has directed that no worker in the state should earn less than ₦77,000 starting from October.
The SSG said, Prince Abiodun means well for the people of the state and has proactively taken steps to address their suffering.
He added that the governor has advised the organized private sector to take a cue from the policy, as their workers are not exempt from the economic realities in the country, to improve the living standards of people in the state holistically.
“The SSG also noted that the Governor has therefore advised that the private sector should dialogue with their relevant stakeholders to arrive at a commensurate minimum wage for the sector while he will set up a monitoring team to see how it is implemented by the private sector to ensure no one is short-changed,” the statement read in part.
On his part, the State NLC Chairman, Comrade Hameed Benco, said the organized labour in the state is very pleased with the Governor for approving the ₦77,000 in consultation with labour leaders, which today is the highest in the country.
Benco noted that some states that have implemented the new minimum wage are paying ₦70,000, while some pay ₦70,250 or less.
He also mentioned that the government has graciously approved the submission of labour and that the new basic salary should not be taxed.
In the same vein, Comrade Akeem Lasisi of the TUC and his counterpart, Comrade Isa Olude of the JNC, commended the government for being worker-friendly.
They noted that consequential adjustments for pensioners and other matters will be announced after due consultation with the relevant stakeholders.