Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider raising Nigeria’s national minimum wage from N70,000 to N100,000.
The proposal was made on Friday during a meeting between the president and state governors at Tinubu’s residence in Lagos.
AbdulRazaq, who serves as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, commended the president for removing the fuel subsidy, describing the decision as a courageous reform that many political leaders would have been unwilling to implement.
According to the governor, the policy has improved the financial position of many states, enabling them to meet salary obligations without depending on loans or bond issuances.
Speaking on the financial realities facing state governments, AbdulRazaq noted that after receiving monthly allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), some states are left with only limited funds after paying workers’ salaries.
“In my own state, when we get the FAAC allocation, after paying salaries, we’re left with N100 or N200 million,” he said.
The governor further revealed that several state governments are already paying wages close to or above the current national minimum wage benchmark, with some implementing salary structures approaching N100,000.
“On the issue of minimum wage, most of the states are paying almost 100,000 naira today and I urge your excellency, let’s all have a discussion in moving the minimum wage to 100,000,” he stated.
He expressed confidence that governors would receive the president’s support should discussions on a fresh wage increase move forward.
Nigeria’s current national minimum wage of N70,000 was approved by President Tinubu in June 2024 after he signed an amended minimum wage bill into law.
The legislation replaced the previous N30,000 minimum wage introduced in 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari and provides for periodic wage reviews every three years.
