The Jigawa State Government in North West Nigeria has approved N70,000 as minimum wage for its workers.
Governor Umar Namadi, along with the leadership of workers’ unions, signed the minimum wage agreement at the Government House in Dutse.
Governor Namadi expressed pride in the new arrangement, highlighting the additional benefits that elevate the package beyond the stipulated minimum wage.
According to him, the agreement ensures a minimum wage of ₦70,000, with provisions that make Jigawa’s salary package the most safeguarded and comprehensive in the country.
“Though we have signed 70,000, by implication what we have signed is more than 80,000. The reason being that it is only in Jigawa state that the civil servant has a subsidised shop where he can go and buy essential commodities at subsidized prices and on credit,” the governor remarked.
“It is only in Jigawa state that civil servants have access to money where they can go and borrow and farm where they can. And I am sure it is only in Jigawa state that the 70,000 minimum wage is well protected because with the workers going to the farms and with a credit from the state government, they can be able to grow what they eat all year round. So they don’t have any reason to fear the implication of rice price inflation in the market.”
“Even if that happens, they have alternatives, which are subsidized shops where essential commodities are available for them to buy at subsidized prices and on credit. So, certainly, the Jigawa state minimum wage is a real minimum wage and is a living wage.”
Governor Namadi also emphasised the state’s commitment to healthcare, noting the full implementation of federal-level health workers’ benefits to retain talent in the sector.
The Governor urged civil servants in the state to reciprocate this gesture by rededicating themselves to their duties.
Responding on behalf of the organised labor, the State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Sunusi Maigatari, expressed gratitude to the Governor, acknowledging significant strides in improving workers’ welfare, which includes the employment of over 7,000 civil servants, the injection of over ₦5.4 billion into the contributory pension scheme, the provision of agricultural loans and subsidized foodstuffs, as well as the development of affordable housing for workers.
Details of the engagement were contained in a press statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Jigawa state
Hamisu Gumel.
Dominica Nwabufo
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