News

Minimum wage: FG targets N62,000, govs want N57,000

Published

2 years ago

June 8, 2024

The Federal Government may be on a collision course with governors, and the private sector for agreeing to pay a minimum wage higher than N60,000.

According to findings by Saturday PUNCH, while the Federal Government may be ready to accept N65,000 as the new minimum wage, governors and the organised private sector were against paying as high as N60,000. They insisted that any figure above N57,000 may not be sustainable.

The major argument by the governors, according to insiders, is that the states would be left with nothing for developmental projects if they accepted to pay a minimum wage above N57,000, as they would have to pay a large chunk of their resources as wages to workers.

Negotiation not over

However, the negotiation for a new minimum wage is far from over as Organised Labour and the Federal Government continue to make offers and counter-offers.

Organised Labour, comprising of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, had again rejected the offer of the Federal Government to pay N60,000 as a new minimum wage for workers.

The Organised Labour also shifted ground from its N497,000 stance last week to N494,000.

A prominent member of the Tripartite Committee for the negotiation of a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers had told The PUNCH that the Federal Government and Organised Private Sector side of the talks proposed a N60,000 monthly minimum wage on Tuesday, as against the N57,000 they proposed last week when the committee last met.

The government and the OPS had initially proposed N48,000 and N54,000 last week, which were also rejected by Organised Labour.

Meetings

The organised labour had presented N615,000 as the new minimum wage but saw reasons to drop their demand to N497,000 last week, and then to N494,000 on Tuesday.

The last meeting of the committee was, however, deadlocked as talks ended without an agreement on what to pay as the new minimum wage.

The labour unions said the current minimum wage of N30,000 could no longer cater to the well-being of an average Nigerian worker, lamenting that not all governors were paying the current wage award, which expired in April 2024, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

FG’s proposal unsubstantial – Ajaero

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, described as ‘unsubstantial’, the fresh proposals by the government. “It is still not substantial compared to what we need to get a family moving,” the labour leader had said of the current N30,000 wage paid to workers in the country.

“The economy of the workers is totally destroyed. In fact, the workers don’t have any economy. I think there are two economies in the country— the economy of the bourgeoisie and the economy of the workers. I think we have to harmonise this so that we can have a meeting point,” Ajaero had said.

Strike

For failing to meet their demands, the unions embarked on a nationwide strike on Monday.

Although the strike was short-lived, it grounded economic activities in the country.

The strike, which commenced on Monday, was called to protest the failure of the Federal Government to approve a new minimum wage by May 31, as well as its failure to reverse the hike in electricity tariff.

The PUNCH reported that after a six-hour meeting with the leadership of Organised Labour in Abuja on Monday night, the Federal Government expressed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to raising the N60,000 offered as the minimum wage.

The agreement stated, “The President of Nigeria, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, is committed to establishing a National Minimum Wage higher than N60,000; and the Tripartite Committee will convene daily for the next week to finalise an agreeable National Minimum Wage.”

Organised Labour also agreed to “immediately hold meetings of its organs to consider this new offer, and no worker would face victimisation as a consequence of participating in the industrial action.”

These resolutions were signed on behalf of the Federal Government by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.

‘Why governors can’t pay N65,000 minimum wage’

Governors, however, accused the Federal Government of caving under labour’s pressure without critically looking at the feasibility of paying above N60,000 for states.

A governor from the south, who is a member of the opposition, while speaking with our correspondent under anonymity, lamented how he would use huge amounts to pay less than 200,000 civil servants in the state, which did not constitute more than five per cent of the population.

The anger, according to Saturday PUNCH findings, is however more among players in the Organised Private Sector.

“The FG has literally shaved our heads in our absence. Though we had nominal representations, they were not allowed to come back to us for proper consultation,” said a manufacturer in Lagos who craved anonymity.

Though governors, local governments and Organised Private Sector are against the N60,000, a member of the FG negotiation team said the Federal Government was ready to keep its promise of a figure higher than 60,000.

“Actually, FG’s position is that we can pay as much as N65,000, because the President believed in a quick and amicable solution,” the member told our correspondent on the condition of anonymity.

Also, documents seen by our correspondent with one of the governors who is a member of the negotiation team show the precarious financial status of the states and their inability to pay anything above the N57,000 they proposed alongside the private sector.

One of the documents which was released by the secretariat of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum and titled, ‘Comparative Analysis of States Gross Allocation Between Subsidy and Non-Subsidy Regimes (January – December 2023)’, showed the gross income received by states from the Federation Account.

A table in the document shows the States Gross Allocations, including revenues from Statutory Allocation, Value Added Tax, Electronic Money Transfer Levy, Exchange Gain, and Augmentations, as of when the subsidy regime was in place, and the non-subsidy regime in 2023.

Many states received more allocation in the second half of the year of the post-subsidy regime compared to when the subsidy regime was in place.

This, according to the NGF, was due to an increase in the 13 per cent derivation in the first half of the year, and a reduction in the 13 per cent derivation in the second half of the year.

As seen on the table, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers states, were the only states that received more allocation in the first half of the year when compared to the second half of the year of the non-subsidy regime.

Meanwhile, Abia’s gross allocation before subsidy removal (January to June 2023) was N38.7bn. After subsidy, it increased by 20 per cent to N46.30bn.

Adamawa received N38.380bn before subsidy, and increased by 22 per cent to N46.803bn.

Surprisingly, the gross allocation for Akwa Ibom reduced by 33 per cent to N125bn from N185bn (before subsidy removal).

Anambra’s allocation increased by 15 per cent to N53.603bn. Bauchi’s allocation also increased by N21 per cent to N53.937 bn.

States that saw a reduction were Delta (-26 per cent), Rivers (-12 per cent), Bayelsa (-20 per cent) and Akwa Ibom (-33 per cent).

The rest saw an increase by, at least, 20 per cent, except Edo (four per cent); Ondo (three per cent), and Anambra (15 per cent).

Another document sighted by our correspondent, titled, “Analysis of State FAAC Inflows and State Expenditures Profile” from the NGF secretariat showed that some states were not viable and may not be able to afford the minimum wage proposed by Organised Labour.

According to the table, Abia’s total revenue stood at N94bn. After paying salaries, the state will have a shortfall of over N17bn.

Ekiti, with a total allocation of N79bn, would have a shortfall of over N13bn after clearing a recurrent expenditure of N93bn.

Gombe would have a shortfall of N7.6bn after paying a recurrent expenditure of N82bn from a total revenue of N74bn.

Imo would have a shortfall of over N2.2bn after paying a recurrent expenditure of N97bn from its total revenue of N95bn.

Also, Katsina with a total revenue of N90bn would have a shortfall of N15bn after paying a recurrent expenditure of N106.26bn.

Oyo State would have a shortfall of N2.6bn after paying N152bn as recurrent expenditure from a total allocation of N149.4bn.

Other states with shortfalls include Plateau (N17.01bn); Sokoto (N3.440bn); Yobe (N18.720bn) and Zamfara (N27.369bn).

N60,000 unsustainable – NGF

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum has issued a public disclaimer in reaction to the offer by the FG which they described as “unsustainable”.

The NGF in a statement by its acting Director of Media and Public Affairs, Halimah Ahmed, expressed concerns that if the N60,000 minimum wage was adopted, many states would allocate their entire allocations to salaries, leaving no resources for development projects.

The statement read in part “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum is in agreement that a new minimum wage is due. The forum also sympathises with labour unions in their push for higher wages.

“However, the forum urges all parties to consider the fact that the minimum wage negotiations also involve consequential adjustments across all cadres, including pensioners. The NGF cautions parties in this important discussion to look beyond just signing a document for the sake of it; any agreement to be signed should be sustainable and realistic.”

The NGF urged all parties involved in the negotiation process, particularly the labor unions, to take into account all socioeconomic factors, and reach a sustainable agreement.

Committee close to agreeing on new wage – Uzodinma

Meanwhile, the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, said the Tripartite Committee on the minimum wage was close to agreeing on a new national minimum wage.

He disclosed this after emerging from the meeting of the committee on Friday which lasted for over 12 hours.

“We had a very fruitful deliberation and of course you know it is a technical subcommittee of a committee.

“And at the level of the committee, we have reached near consensus, and by the time we go to the plenary, we will have a complete agreement and maybe from there, the media can start their job. As it is now, I think we are better off than we were,” Uzodimma said.

He added that the committee had just finished with their various unit meetings and had now proceeded to the plenary where the committee was expected to harmonise their decisions and hopefully come up with a figure.

News

Court Orders DSS Probe as Prosecutors Link VeryDarkMan to Alleged Leak of Coup Trial Evidence

Published

7 hours ago

June 24, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The trial of six men accused of plotting to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu took a dramatic turn on Tuesday after the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the alleged leakage of sensitive court evidence to social media.

During proceedings, prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), informed the court that video recordings already tendered as evidence had surfaced online. He alleged that the materials were published by social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, and noted that the activist was present in court during the hearing.

Oyedepo urged the court to investigate how the videos were obtained and made public.

In response, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik directed the DSS to immediately probe the alleged leak. The judge ordered security operatives to determine whether any protected court materials were released in breach of existing witness-protection orders and to identify those responsible.

Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the investigation should proceed alongside the ongoing criminal trial, stressing that neither the defendants nor their legal representatives had admitted involvement in the alleged publication.

Counsel to the six defendants denied any connection to the leaked materials. Some members of the defence team argued that the prosecution should file a formal application supported by an affidavit if it wished to pursue the matter before the court.

The hearing also featured testimony from the prosecution’s fourth witness, identified only as “DDD,” who maintained that the defendants voluntarily made their statements and were neither tortured nor coerced during interrogation.

The witness dismissed claims that the accused were chained while giving statements, stating that they walked into the interview room unassisted. He further told the court that none of the defendants requested the presence of lawyers, family members, Legal Aid Council officials, or a Justice of the Peace before making their statements.

Following the testimony, the prosecution closed its case in the trial-within-trial after calling four witnesses.

The court adjourned proceedings to June 25 and June 30 for the first three defendants to open their defence, while the remaining defendants are scheduled to present theirs on July 1 and July 2.

Justice Abdulmalik also fixed July 20 for a ruling on the defendants’ bail applications.

The six men remain on trial over allegations of participating in a plot to topple the Tinubu administration—claims they have denied and which the court has yet to determine.

News

Good Governance: Nwoye Harps on Prudent Management of Public Funds, Engagement of Competent Hands

Published

7 hours ago

June 24, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

A Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Peace, Conflict and Development Studies (IPCDS), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Dr. Ben Nwoye, has emphasized the need for managers of public institutions, especially government-owned establishments, to prioritize prudent management of resources and the engagement of competent personnel.

Nwoye also stressed that placing qualified and capable individuals in positions of responsibility remains one of the surest ways to achieve good governance and sustainable development in any society.

The former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State and current Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party made the remarks on Monday during a good governance facility tour to the remodeled Government Technical College (GTC), Enugu, alongside PhD students of IPCDS.

He commended Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, for the transformation of GTC Enugu under the leadership of Dr. Amaka Ngene, Chairman of the Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Management Board (STVSMB), noting that the institution has been transformed from a dilapidated facility into a modern learning centre.

According to Nwoye, the visit was aimed at assessing the progress made since a similar tour of the school in 2025.

He described education as the bedrock of national development and stressed the need for governments to continue investing heavily in the sector.

“The massive transformation that has taken place at GTC Enugu would not have been possible without prudent management of resources and the appointment of capable leadership,” he said.

“When we first visited, what we saw were merely buildings and classrooms without teachers or students. We were also shown videos and photographs depicting the terrible state of the institution before the intervention of the Enugu State Government.

“Today, barely a year later, we have returned to see whether the state-of-the-art facilities have become functional, and we are impressed by what we have seen. There are teachers, students, and fully operational departments.

“This success is largely due to the quality of leadership driving the school board. The desired transformation has truly taken place, and this goes beyond politics. It is about commitment, competence, and prudent management of public funds.”

Nwoye noted that the beneficiaries of the reforms are young people whose lives are being positively impacted through quality education and vocational training.

“We must commend Governor Peter Mbah for providing the enabling environment and resources needed to achieve this. More importantly, we must acknowledge the efforts of the Board Chairman, Dr. Amaka Ngene, who has driven the entire process.”

He added that practical examples such as GTC Enugu provide valuable learning opportunities for students studying governance and leadership.

“The challenge in our country is not the absence of laws but our failure to implement them. Previous boards allowed this institution to remain in a deplorable condition. What we are seeing today demonstrates what is possible when competent individuals are entrusted with leadership responsibilities.”

Nwoye expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the tour, stating that his students were impressed by the level of transformation witnessed across the institution.

“It is gratifying because when we teach governance principles in the classroom, we can now point to practical examples where those principles are being applied successfully. Sustainable development can only be achieved when education is treated as a priority,” he said.

Speaking during the tour, Dr. Ngene attributed the board’s achievements to a fortified database system, zero tolerance for corruption, truancy, and absenteeism, as well as a commitment to accountability and efficiency.

She also praised Governor Mbah for his commitment to education, describing the ongoing reforms as an education revolution in Enugu State.

According to her, the state’s investment in education has surpassed the UNESCO recommendation of 15 to 20 per cent budgetary allocation to the sector.

“Over the last three years, Enugu State has consistently allocated an average of 23 per cent of its budget to education, reflecting the governor’s commitment to human capital development,” she disclosed.

During the facility tour, the visiting students inspected several functional departments, including the automobile repair workshop, welding and fabrication unit, computer laboratory, garment-making section, and hospitality and catering department.

The facilities provide practical vocational training for senior students, equipping them with employable skills and entrepreneurial opportunities for the future.

Dr. Ngene maintained that Governor Mbah’s administration has demonstrated the impact of good governance through strategic investments in education and human capital development, adding that the results are already evident across the state.

News

Post-Election Cleanup: Enugu Cracks Down on Unauthorized Outdoor Advertising

Published

1 day ago

June 23, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

With the successful conclusion of the Enugu North Senatorial District by-election, the Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency (ENSSAA) has announced plans to commence a statewide enforcement exercise against unauthorized outdoor advertisements across the state.

The Agency said the operation would target illegally displayed posters, billboards, political campaign materials, banners, and other outdoor advertisements erected without the approval and requisite permits of ENSSAA.

In a statement issued on Monday by the General Manager of the Agency, Mr. Francis Aninwike, ENSSAA said the enforcement exercise would be carried out across Enugu metropolis and all the local government areas of the state in accordance with the provisions of the ENSSAA Law 2016, which regulates outdoor advertising and signage in Enugu State.

Aninwike explained that the Agency deliberately suspended the enforcement exercise in recent weeks to allow the Enugu North Senatorial District by-election to be concluded and to avoid giving political coloration to what is essentially a long-overdue regulatory exercise aimed at restoring order, sanity, and environmental aesthetics within the state’s outdoor advertising space.

He stressed that no individual, political party, candidate, organization, or business is permitted to erect, display, or paste advertisements, including political campaign materials, without first obtaining the approval of the Agency.

According to him, political parties, candidates, and other stakeholders are advised to immediately regularize their advertisements and obtain the necessary permits before displaying campaign materials or other outdoor advertisements in any part of the state.

The General Manager noted that the proliferation of unauthorized advertisements constitutes a violation of the law, contributes to visual pollution, defaces public infrastructure, and undermines the beauty of the environment.

He emphasized that the enforcement exercise is neither targeted at any individual nor directed against any political group.

“This enforcement exercise is not targeted at any individual or political group. It is a routine regulatory action aimed at ensuring compliance with the law and maintaining a clean, orderly, and aesthetically pleasing environment across the state,” Aninwike stated.

To ensure a smooth and peaceful operation, ENSSAA said it has secured armed police escorts for its enforcement teams. The exercise will be conducted daily between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

The Agency urged members of the public to comply with extant regulations and refrain from obstructing officials carrying out their lawful duties.

Aninwike reiterated ENSSAA’s commitment to sanitizing the outdoor advertising sector, enforcing compliance with relevant laws, and ensuring that outdoor advertisements across Enugu State conform to approved standards.

News

US opens applications to support Nigerians seeking admission abroad

Published

2 days ago

June 22, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The United States Mission in Nigeria has opened applications for the 2026 cohort of the EducationUSA Nigeria Opportunity Fund Programme, inviting qualified Nigerian students seeking higher education opportunities in the US to apply.

The application is open from June 15 and will close on June 30, 2026, according to a notice published by the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria.

The programme, coordinated by the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Mission through EducationUSA Nigeria, is designed to assist academically outstanding Nigerian students with leadership potential in pursuing higher education in the United States.

According to the mission, the initiative supports access to U.S. higher education while advancing “American leadership, commercial diplomacy, and the shared economic interests of the United States and Nigeria.”

It added that the 2026 cohort aligns with the Freedom 250 celebration, marking 250 years of American leadership, innovation and democratic values.

The statement read, “Freedom250 marks 250 years of American leadership, innovation, and democratic values, and the OFP 2026 cohort will advance these priorities by preparing globally competitive talents aligned with U.S. economic and strategic interests.”

The mission said the programme also reinforces U.S. priorities on “secure, lawful, and well-managed student participation” in American higher education institutions.

It stated, “The program reinforces U.S. priorities on secure, lawful, and well-managed student participation of U.S. higher education systems, ensuring participants understand and uphold the proper use of student visas and full compliance with U.S. immigration regulations.”

Priority consideration, according to the statement, will be given to high-performing students pursuing fields that align with U.S. strategic interests.

It noted, “Priority consideration will be given to the highest-performing students whose academic profiles and career trajectories align with U.S. strategic interests in STEM, AI, and critical emerging technologies.”

The Opportunity Fund Programme provides financial support for essential upfront application costs, including standardised testing fees, application fees and other related expenses.

To qualify, applicants must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, a clear intention to pursue post-secondary education in the United States, notable achievements, research capability, and a commitment to visa compliance and responsible participation in U.S. exchange programmes.

The statement further stressed that participants would be expected to maintain high ethical standards throughout the programme.

It said, “Participants are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, compliance, and accountability, including adherence to all U.S. visa regulations.

Applicants are required to submit a completed application form, academic records, a personal statement, evidence of achievements, leadership and research capability, as well as other supporting documents before the June 30 deadline.

Apply here: EducationUSA Nigeria Opportunity Fund Program (OFP) 2026 – U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria