Governor Obaseki increases minimum wage of Edo workers to N70,000

Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, has approved a new minimum wage of N70,000 for civil servants in the state.

The governor made the declaration on Monday, April 11, 2024, while inaugurating the Labour House.

According to him, the new wage comes into effect on May 1st, 2024.

Obaseki named the Labour House after Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo north and former governor of the state.

Obaseki said his administration would increase the new minimum wage for the state’s workers from N40,000 to N70,000.

He also promised to increase the monthly salary of workers to over N70,000 if the Federal Government approved q new minimum wage for its workers.

According to him, the details of the new minimum wage would be made known to the public during the celebration of this year’s Workers Day on Wednesday, May 1

Recall the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, have been pushing for a new minimum wage for workers across states. This is coming on the heels of the hardship occasioned by the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

The removal of subsidy on petrol and unification of the forex windows in 2023, immediately led to food inflation and a spike in the prices of other goods and services.

Meanwhile, the national minimum wage has been pegged at N30,000 since April 18, 2019.

However, this sum has been described as “grossly inadequate” and “poverty wage” in the face of prevailing economic hardship.