Governors meet in Abuja over minimum wage, LG autonomy

Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq

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Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

Nigerian State Governors on the platform of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) are currently in a closed-door meeting in Abuja to discuss the proposed new national minimum wage and other national issues.

At the last meeting of the tripartite committee on Minimum wage, the Government representative and organised private sector had agreed on N62,000 as the new minimum wage for the country.

However, organised labour demanded N250,000 as the new minimum wage. However, the NGF had insisted that many states may not be able to pay N60,000 as the new minimum wage

The presidency said on Tuesday that President Bola Tinubu will consult further before arriving at a final decision on the new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, told journalists at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja that the report of the tripartite committee on the new wage was presented and deliberated on at the FEC meeting, but was stepped down to enable the President to consult further.

Idris said this would allow the President take an informed decision on it before sending its bill to the National Assembly for consideration.

“We discussed the new minimum wage issue at the council meeting.

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“The new national minimum wage is not just that of the federal government, it is an issue that involves the federal government, the state governments, local governments, and organised private sector.

“And of course, the memo was stepped down to enable Mr President to consult further, especially with the state governors and organised private sector,” he said.

The other matters on the meeting agenda, chaired by the forum’s Chairman, Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, included the issue of local government autonomy.

The Supreme Court on June 13 reserved its judgment on the suit filed by the Federal Government, to secure full autonomy for the 774 Local Governments in the country.

Also on the meeting agenda were the representatives of the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG CARES), Petroleum Profits Tax (PPT), the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and Royalties Accounts Reconciliation/Debt Net-off.

Already in the meeting were Governors of Oyo, Zamfara, Anambra, Gombe, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kwara, Niger, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina, Ondo, Ogun, and Kano.

Also in attendance were the Deputy Governors of Akwa-Ibom, Delta and Borno States. (

NAN)