Minimum wage: Oyo leads with ₦11.9bn monthly salary commitment – Commissioner

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has announced an 86 percent compensation increase for state workers, raising the monthly wage bill to ₦11.9 billion beginning January 2025.

Prince Dotun Oyelade, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation, made the announcement in a statement on Thursday following a meeting with Comrade Kayode Martins, the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

Oyelade stated that a new minimum salary of ₦80,000 will replace the current ₦30,000, establishing Oyo State as a pioneer in worker welfare in Nigeria.

The Commissioner emphasized Governor Makinde’s commitment to balancing worker well-being with the requirements of the general public and essential sectors of the economy.

NLC Chairman Comrade Kayode Martins lauded Governor Makinde, referring to him as a “Workers’ Governor.”

Oyo’s ₦80,000 minimum salary and adjustments outperformed those in other states and the federal level, according to the speaker.

“Oyo was the first state to implement the old ₦30,000 minimum wage and began negotiating the new wage with labour leaders even before the Federal Government approved the ₦70,000 minimum wage,” Martins told journalists.

Highlighting the increments, he explained that workers on Grade Levels 1 to 6 will see a salary jump from ₦30,000 to ₦80,000, while those on Grade Level 7 and above will enjoy adjustments of ₦70,000 to over ₦180,000, depending on their grade level. “For instance, a worker on Grade Level 17 currently earning ₦170,000 will now earn ₦360,000,” Martins said, adding that no other state in Nigeria has implemented such a robust pay structure. Oyelade emphasised Makinde’s proactive approach to workers’ issues, citing the announcement of a four-year promotion for workers to resolve long standing promotion crises.

He also revealed that with the new wage structure, Oyo State’s annual wage bill will rise to ₦143 billion, a record commitment to civil service welfare.

Martins commended the cordial relationship between the state government and labour unions, pointing out that Oyo workers were exempted from the national industrial action by labour unions on December 2, 2024, due to the harmonious relationship in the state.