Niger State wants to pay ₦1m as minimum wage to civil servants - Gov Bago

Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State has disclosed his administration's target to pay ₦1 million as minimum wage for the state civil servants.

The Governor made this known when speaking at the Government House in Minna, the state capital, on Friday, October 25, 2024.

He also announced that his government would pay workers in the state a new minimum wage of ₦80,000.

Bago revealed that the decision was taken after an extensive meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in the state.

“This N80,000 is sustainable. We are sure that with our stride in agriculture, we can pay. We are creating a civil service farm so that civil servants can be productive. With that, we are sure that we can do ₦1 million as minimum wage,” he said.

The Governor assured that the new minimum wage would apply to civil servants on the state and local government roasters, noting that the state had already paid October's salary.

He added that the new ₦80,000 minimum wage will come into effect from November.

The state NLC Chairman, Idrees Lafene, expressed his excitement about the development, saying that the Governor exceeded the workers' expectations.

The union leader admitted that the ₦80,000 wasn't commensurate with the high cost of living in the country, noting that the money isn't enough to buy a 50kg bag of rice as of now.

“It is not commensurate with a bag of rice but at least, it is a step forward,” he added.