Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, has announced a new minimum wage of ₦72,500 for civil servants in the state, with immediate effect. In addition, the governor has suspended the tax burden on the newly approved wage for one year to ease the financial pressure on workers.
Governor Ododo made this declaration on Monday during the signing of the agreement on the revised minimum wage. “The new minimum wage of seventy-two thousand five hundred naira should take immediate effect to help workers cope with the prevailing economic conditions in the country,” he emphasized.
This wage adjustment comes as part of the governor’s response to the current economic realities facing Nigerian workers and reflects his administration’s commitment to improving the welfare of civil servants in Kogi State.
The Chairman of the Minimum Wage Committee, Elijah Evenemi, expressed his satisfaction with the agreement, noting that it was not a victory for any political party but rather a win for the people of Kogi State. “We are grateful to the governor for granting the committee full autonomy to carry out its task and achieve this shared objective,” Evenemi remarked.
It should be noted that President Bola Tinubu had earlier approved a national minimum wage of ₦70,000 on July 18, 2024, and pledged to review the minimum wage law every three years. The president’s decision came after meetings with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
This new development in Kogi State aligns with the national movement to improve the standard of living for Nigerian workers amid rising inflation and other economic challenges. The one-year tax relief on the new wage is expected to provide further financial reprieve for the civil servants in the state.
