₦70k Minimum wage crisis: Nearly two years later, 20 Nigerian states are still not paying workers

Just days ago, I reported that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is gearing up for a nationwide confrontation.

In that report, the union warned that states failing to implement the ₦70,000 minimum wage will face mass protests on May Day, 2026.

When President Bola Tinubu signed the ₦70,000 minimum wage into law in July 2024, it was meant to ease the financial pressure of rising inflation and economic hardship on Nigerian workers.

But nearly two years later, as of 2025, about 20 states were still lagging in implementation, especially at the local government and education levels.

While some states moved quickly, with Akwa-Ibom even exceeding the benchmark, others are still dragging their feet, leaving workers stuck with outdated salary structures.

The new wage law replaced the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage and was enacted after negotiations among the Federal Government, labour unions, and the National Assembly. 

This law effectively more than doubled the baseline salary for Nigerian workers.

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However, implementation is not automatic. Each state government must:

• Agree on the structure

• Adjust salary scales

• Secure funding

That’s where the delays begin.

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Based on labour union reports, media investigations, and government disclosures, these states have not fully implemented the new wage across all sectors:

• Plateau

• Kebbi

• Sokoto

• Nasarawa

• Bayelsa

• Osun

• Ekiti

• Zamfara

• Benue

• Enugu

• Taraba

• Gombe

• Niger

• Bauchi

• Katsina

• Kaduna

• Cross River

• Yobe

• Oyo (delayed rollout)

• Imo (partial implementation)

Some of these states have not approved the wage at all, while others have only implemented it partially. 

In several states, especially at the local government level, workers are still reportedly earning the old ₦30,000 minimum wage or slightly above. 

Some states have only made incremental adjustments, adding small amounts rather than fully adopting ₦70,000.

In addition, these states have announced ₦70,000 but aren’t paying everyone equally:

• Kaduna, Gombe, Borno – not paying full wage to local government workers 

• Imo, Cross River, Yobe – flagged in labour reports for incomplete rollout

While others delay, a few states have gone ahead, even exceeding the benchmark:

• Lagos – about ₦85,000 (with plans to go higher)

• Ogun – around ₦77,000 

• Kogi – about ₦72,500 

• Gombe – about ₦71,500 (though implementation varies) 

• Imo – up to ₦100,000+ for some categories

This gap shows that Nigeria now effectively has different minimum wages depending on location.

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Some governors insist they cannot sustain the wage bill. 

Some states prioritise state workers while ignoring:

• Local government staff

• Teachers

• Health workers

There’s also the issue of weak enforcement. The federal government sets the wage, but states control implementation.

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Right now, two Nigerian workers doing the same job can earn the following:

• ₦30,000 in one state

• ₦70,000 in another

• Or more than ₦70,000 elsewhere

And it explains why the NLC is escalating.

Also read: ₦70k isn't enough - NLC, civil servants demand urgent review of minimum wage amid hardship