A growing number of state governors across Nigeria are under intense criticism for failing to pay the newly approved ₦70,000 minimum wage to local government workers and primary school teachers, nearly nine months after President Bola Tinubu signed the Minimum Wage Act into law.
According to the National President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Alhaji Haruna Kankara, at least 20 states have not started paying the new wage, leaving thousands of local government workers and teachers stranded amid economic hardship.
Kankara said in an interview on Sunday, “We truly have the challenge of so many states, like about 20 that have not started implementing the new minimum wage. Some states started paying state-level workers but excluded local government workers and teachers. We are still engaging them and hoping they do the right thing.”
States Yet to Implement the Wage
Kankara listed the affected states as Sokoto, Yobe, Gombe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Imo, Ebonyi, Borno, Cross River, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), among others.
While some states like Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom have started paying the new wage to all categories of workers, others continue to delay or selectively implement the law.
The Minimum Wage Act, which raised the monthly minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000—a 133% increase—was signed into law on July 29, 2024, to cushion the effect of the rising cost of living.
LG Autonomy Still in Limbo
Beyond salary delays, Kankara also raised concerns about the federal government’s failure to grant financial autonomy to local governments. He noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has not yet issued a circular for local governments to open independent bank accounts.
“What the union has always demanded is for the Central Bank to issue a circular, but that hasn’t happened,” he explained.
Kwara’s Partial Implementation
In Kwara State, the government began paying the ₦70,000 minimum wage to local government staff and teachers in October 2024. However, local union leaders say heavy taxation has significantly reduced the take-home pay of workers.
Seun Oyinlade, the state NULGE President said, “The heavy taxes have eaten into the benefits of the new wage. The government only gave us three months of tax relief, which ended in December. Since January, they have resumed full tax deductions.”
Muritala Olayinka, Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kwara, confirmed the implementation but said the congress has written to the governor to extend the tax holiday.
Olayinka said, “We are still waiting for a response.”
Mixed Reports from Sokoto
There were conflicting reports from Sokoto State. A local government worker, Usman Abdullah, confirmed receiving a ₦50,000 raise in salary, but he revealed that the last ₦30,000 minimum wage was never implemented in the past.
Abdullah explained, “This administration just added ₦50,000 to our old salaries. It’s the first time we’re seeing any minimum wage payment at the local government level.”
Another teacher in Sokoto, Abdullahi Umar, also confirmed receiving the new wage since January, although payments were delayed due to issues with federal allocations.
Many Teachers Still Unpaid Even the 2019 Wage
Worryingly, data from the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) revealed that several states have still not implemented the 2019 minimum wage of ₦30,000 for teachers. The affected states include Zamfara, Yobe, Taraba, Sokoto, Niger, Kogi, Kaduna, Imo, Gombe, Cross River, Borno, Benue, Adamawa, and Abia.
A teacher from Yobe, who asked not to be named, said, “We haven’t even benefited from the previous minimum wage, how can we talk about ₦70,000? We appeal to President Tinubu to intervene urgently.”
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Strike Action in FCT Over Non-Payment
In the Federal Capital Territory, public primary school teachers went on strike four times in the past four months to protest the non-implementation of the ₦70,000 wage. The latest strike, which began on March 24, 2025, disrupted second-term exams in many schools across the six area councils.
The FCT wing of the NUT expressed deep frustration in a communiqué, saying, “The payment of February salary without including the new minimum wage is disturbing and lacks sympathy for the plight of teachers.”
The union demanded immediate payment of the new wage and arrears, along with the implementation of other allowances such as the 40% peculiar allowance.
“Why the continuous impoverishing of the already impoverished?” the union asked. “Why impose continuous hardship and suffering on teachers and their families? Enough is enough!”
Blame on State Officials
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Mohammed Abubakar, said state commissioners of finance were frustrating efforts to ensure direct allocation payments to local councils.
Abubakar told The PUNCH, “The commissioners are the ones making it difficult for local governments to get their allocations directly. This has affected the finances of local councils and in turn, salary payments.”
Workers Cry for Help
Amid the confusion, unpaid teachers and local government workers across the country are calling on President Tinubu and relevant authorities to enforce the new wage law.
A teacher in the Bwari Area Council of the FCT said, “We feel neglected. It is unfair how LG workers are being treated in this country. We went on strike, but nothing changed. We are tired.”
With no clear timeline for full implementation in all 36 states and the FCT, workers remain in limbo, struggling to survive in a worsening economic climate.
Another teacher said, “We just want fairness. We work hard, and we deserve better.”