By Abeulsalami Abduldatai, Sokoto
Sokoto State has emerged as the first in the federation to fully implement the new national minimum wage of ₦70,000, with all categories of workers, including those in the Local Government and local government education authorities (LGEA), already benefiting.
This was disclosed during a joint press conference held on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, by the Sokoto State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Aliyu Abdullahi Jangle, and the State President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Ibrahim Abubakar Gero.
According to the labour leaders, “we must address recent misinformation published in a national daily, which had suggested that Sokoto State was yet to begin implementing the national new wage structure.
They described the report, which was credited to the National President of NULGE, as misleading and inaccurate.
“It is disheartening to see such a story,” said Comrade Abdullahi.
“Our members are already enjoying the ₦70,000 minimum wage as approved by the State Government.”
The current administration under Governor Ahmed Aliyu has fully implemented the policy without any issues.
“The NLC however commended Governor Ahmed Aliyu for his proactive leadership, describing him as the most worker-friendly governor in the country.
They praised his efforts in ensuring timely salary payments, pension settlements, and other welfare packages for civil servants.
“We were fully involved in the implementation process and even led the verification committee set up by the state to clean up the payroll system in preparation for the wage increase,” the NLC Chairman emphasized.
The labor leaders also lauded the governor for aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive on the national wage policy, calling on other states to emulate Sokoto’s commitment to worker welfare.
“As part of broader reforms, Governor Aliyu’s administration has also commenced the payment of monthly pensions to NOMA’s retirees and has started addressing the backlog of gratuities and pensions running into billions of naira” he added.
The press conference concluded with renewed appreciation to the Sokoto State Government for its dedication to labor welfare and compliance with federal wage policy directives.
