Fifteen Nigerian states have yet to implement the N30,000 minimum wage for their workers since it was signed into law in 2019.
This is as organised labour unions are set to push for a further increase in minimum wage following worsening living conditions in recent times.
According to BudgiT, even though 15 states are yet to implement the minimum wage of N30,000, the 36 states of the federation grew their cumulative personnel cost by 13.44 per cent to N1.75tn in 2022 from N1.54tn in 2021.
Also, these states grew their overhead bills by 23.42 per cent to N1.24tn in 2022.
The Civil Society Organisation disclosed this in its newly released ‘The States of States Report 2023.’ The organisation highlighted that the 36 states of the federation grew their revenue by 28.95 per cent from N5.12tn in 2021 to N6.6tn in 2022.
Commenting on the composition of the revenue, it said, “Put together, the Internally Generated Revenue of the 36 states appreciated by 12.98 per cent from N1.61tn in 2021 to N1.82tn in 2022, denoting a strengthened domestic revenue mobilisation capability. Nonetheless, the IGR to GDP ratio remained very low at 1.01 per cent. The increase in IGR did not reflect across board as 17 states experienced a decline in their IGR from the previous year while 19 states recorded positive growth.
“Occasioned by a 49.2 per cent increase in global oil prices, growth in federal transfers rose by 35.68 per cent from the previous year to N4.05tn, despite a 12.55 per cent drop in crude oil production,”
States’ reliance on the revenue from the Federal Government grew to 61.45 per cent in 2022 from 58.4 per cent in 2021, BudgiT noted. Despite their revenue struggles, the 36 states spent N8.2tn in 2022, more than the N6.58tn they spent in 2021.
Despite the struggles of these states, organised labour recently issued a two-week deadline to governors to commence negotiations on the N35,000 wage award for workers in their states following the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Federal Government, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and the Trade Union Congress.
State chapters of the NLC and TUC handed down these ultimatums on Tuesday and said they had written to the governors. Recently the Federal Government agreed to pay N35,000 to all federal workers for six months beginning from September.
One of the NLC state chapter chairmen who spoke to The PRIMANEWS, The Kano State NLC Chairman, Kabiru Inuwa, said, “We have written to the government requesting for the payment of the wage award to workers in the state and we are still waiting for the government to respond.”
Other states’ chapters of either the NLC or TUC that confirmed they had written to their governors include Gombe, Rivers, Benue, Ogun, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Kwara, Kebbi, Bayelsa, and Delta.