The Kaduna State Government has started paying a new minimum wage of N72,000 to its workers, according to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Malam Ibraheem Musa.
He revealed that the least-paid civil servant in the state received the updated salary in November, dismissing claims by the Nigerian Labour Congress that the government had defaulted on the new wage.
Musa stated, “His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, has complied with the spirit and letter of the National Minimum Wage Law by paying the lowest-paid civil servant N72,000 last month.”
However, despite the payment of the approved minimum wage, the Kaduna chapter of the NLC confirmed its participation in the nationwide strike planned by the union. When asked about the strike, NLC Kaduna State Chairman, Ayuba Suleiman, said, “Yes, we are set for the strike.”
Musa clarified that while the minimum wage had been implemented, the NLC’s demand for consequential adjustments required consideration of the state’s financial capacity. He explained, “It is unfair for Kaduna State Government to spend almost all its revenue on consequential adjustments after paying the mandatory minimum wage. There are over 10 million people in Kaduna State, but only 84,827 civil servants. It is unreasonable to use over 90% of the state’s revenue on just 1% of the population.”
The state government currently earns an average of N12 billion monthly from federal allocations and internally generated revenue. Out of this, N6.3 billion now goes to wages, and another N4 billion is deducted for loan payments, leaving just N2 billion for public services such as rural development, healthcare, and education.
Musa urged the NLC to be patient, saying, “Governor Uba Sani is Labour-friendly. He has shown this by providing buses for civil servants to commute to work free of charge as part of measures to ease economic challenges.”
This comes as many states across Nigeria, including Kaduna, pledged to pay above the N70,000 minimum wage set after recent economic adjustments.
