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Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State has announced a new minimum wage of N80,000 for state and local government civil servants, set to take effect in November 2024.
The decision was made following an extensive meeting with the state’s Organized Labour Union, where the governor committed to continually reviewing and upgrading wages for the state workforce.
In his remarks, Governor Bago expressed confidence in the sustainability of the wage increase, citing advancements in the state’s agricultural sector as a key support for this initiative. “N80,000 is sustainable.
With our progress in agriculture, I am confident we can meet this commitment. We are also developing civil service farms to increase productivity among civil servants, which may eventually allow us to pay even higher wages,” he stated.
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The state’s Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Comrade Idrees Abdulkareem Lafene, praised the governor’s decision, describing it as exceeding their expectations. “I feel delighted. At least, Niger State is now one of the leading states to implement a higher minimum wage,” he said.
However, Lafene acknowledged the ongoing economic challenges, noting that while N80,000 does not cover the cost of a bag of rice under current conditions, it is still a positive step forward for workers in the state.
