By Agboola Aluko | GLiDE NEWS, Lagos
A fresh wave of outrage is sweeping across Nigeria’s public sector as about 20 state governments have yet to implement the new ₦70,000 national minimum wage for local government workers and primary school teachers, despite the law being signed nearly nine months ago.
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) revealed that workers in states such as Yobe, Gombe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross River, Borno, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are still excluded from the new wage structure, which was passed into law on July 29, 2024, by President Bola Tinubu.
President Tinubu had increased the minimum wage by 133 percent, from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, in a bid to cushion the biting economic hardships in the country. However, NULGE says while some states are paying their state-level employees, they have refused to extend the benefit to LG workers and primary school teachers.
“We truly have a challenge with so many states—about 20 of them—who are yet to implement the new minimum wage for local government and primary school workers,” said NULGE’s National President, Alhaji Haruna Kankara, in an interview with GLiDE NEWS.
He lamented that while promises were made by some state governments, most of them failed to follow through. “We are still engaging them, but many are simply not fulfilling their obligations.”
States Defaulting on Previous ₦30,000 Wage
Shockingly, some states have still not implemented the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage passed in 2019. According to data from the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), states like Zamfara, Yobe, Taraba, Sokoto, Niger, Kogi, Kaduna, Imo, Gombe, Cross River, Borno, Benue, Adamawa, and Abia have yet to pay the old wage, leaving teachers earning salaries far below the legal threshold.
A teacher from Yobe, who requested anonymity, voiced frustration:
“How can we talk about ₦70,000 when we’ve never even received the ₦30,000? We appeal to the President to intervene urgently.”
Kwara: Relief Derailed by High Taxes
In Kwara State, the new minimum wage has been in effect since October 2024, but heavy taxation has eroded the impact. State NULGE President, Seun Oyinlade, revealed that workers were granted only three months of tax relief, which expired in December.
“While the ₦70,000 is being paid, excessive deductions have made the increase almost meaningless,” Oyinlade said.
Muritala Olayinka, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), confirmed that the wage is being paid to all categories of workers but noted that appeals for extended tax relief have not yet been approved.
Conflicting Reports from Sokoto and Others
While NULGE listed Sokoto among the defaulting states, a teacher in the state said the wage is being paid—with implementation backdated to January 2025.
“₦50,000 was added to our existing salaries. Even though the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage wasn’t implemented at LG level, this administration has added the ₦50,000 to our base salary,” said LG worker Usman Abdullah.
FCT Teachers Embark on Repeated Strikes
In the Federal Capital Territory, the treatment of LG workers and primary school teachers has sparked a series of protests. Teachers under the FCT Wing of the NUT have embarked on four strikes in just four months, with the latest occurring in March 2025, disrupting second-term examinations across all six area councils.
“Why the continuous impoverishing of the impoverished? Why impose continuous hardship and suffering on the teachers and their families? Enough is enough,” read a communique issued by the union’s emergency meeting.
The teachers demanded full payment of the new wage, six months’ arrears, and the implementation of allowances such as a 40% peculiar allowance and additional salary increases.
Blame Game Over Local Government Autonomy
The NULGE President further criticized the Central Bank of Nigeria for failing to issue circulars allowing LG councils to open dedicated bank accounts, a move that would ensure direct payment of funds to LGs as required by autonomy laws.
Meanwhile, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) accused state commissioners of finance of sabotaging local governments’ financial independence, thereby frustrating efforts to pay the new wage.
“State officials are hijacking LG allocations, making it impossible to fulfill financial responsibilities like wage payments,” said ALGON Secretary-General, Mohammed Abubakar.
Labour Unions Push for Federal Intervention
With widespread non-compliance and selective implementation of wage laws, labour unions are mounting pressure on the Federal Government to enforce compliance across all tiers.
The continued disparity in wage implementation highlights the persistent inequalities in Nigeria’s public workforce and raises concerns over governance, accountability, and the welfare of those who form the backbone of the nation’s basic services—teachers and local council workers.
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