Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has directed the chairmen of all 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) to commence immediate implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage for local government workers.
Zulum issued the directive on Sunday during a high-level meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) at the Government House in Maiduguri.
He urged the LG chairmen to return to their respective areas, consult with stakeholders, and devise practical strategies to implement the wage increase at the council level.
Zulum noted that while the N72,000 minimum wage had already been fully implemented for state civil servants, including primary school teachers, local government workers must not be excluded. However, he warned against using staff retrenchment as a solution to salary shortfalls.
“We do not support retrenchment at the local government level,” the governor said. “I am directing you to establish a framework that will facilitate the implementation of the minimum wage. I also appeal to local government workers to remain patient as we work with all 27 LGAs to make this happen.”
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Modu Alhaji Mustapha, attributed the delay to an overstretched workforce.
He disclosed that Borno’s LGAs employ about 90,000 staff, compared to 30,000 in Kano State, which has a larger population and 44 LGAs. He added that Maiduguri Metropolitan Council receives less than N700 million monthly from the Federation Account but requires N778 million to pay salaries at the new wage rate—leaving no funds for essential services like healthcare, water, security, and infrastructure.
In his remarks, the NLC Chairman in Borno, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa, commended the government for implementing the N72,000 minimum wage for primary school teachers, which he said earned the state national recognition.
Governor Zulum’s directive underscores his administration’s commitment to wage equity and improved labour relations across all levels of government.
