Borno State Government Explains Challenges in Paying N70,000 Minimum Wage to Local Government Workers
The Borno State Government explained why paying a N70,000 minimum wage to local government workers is currently unfeasible.
The high number of employees, about 90,000, has made implementation difficult.
The Borno State Government has provided reasons why paying a N70,000 minimum wage to local government workers in the state is currently not feasible.
During a high-level meeting at the Government House in Maiduguri on Saturday night, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Modu Alhaji Mustapha, explained that the implementation of the minimum wage has been delayed due to an excessively high number of employees.
Mustapha revealed that the 27 local government councils in the state employ about 90,000 staff, a figure that is much higher than in larger states such as Kano, which has a population three times that of Borno but only about 30,000 employees across its 44 LGAs.
He stated, “While the intention behind the minimum wage increase is commendable, the reality in Borno is far more complex.” He explained that the local governments are already overstretched and that the large staff numbers make it difficult to implement the N70,000 wage.
Taking Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) as an example, Mustapha pointed out that the council’s monthly federal allocation is sometimes less than N700 million, while it needs N778 million just to pay the minimum wage. “This constitutes the entire monthly income of the LGA. When you factor in other essential services such as public health, water supply, and security, the financial strain becomes obvious,” he said.
Governor Babagana Zulum, in his address to the 27 local government chairmen, instructed them to return to their localities, engage with stakeholders, and come up with a practical solution to address the salary issue. He clarified, “I want to stress that the payment of the N72,000 minimum wage has been fully implemented for state civil servants and all primary school teachers in Borno.”
The governor also stated that the state does not support staff retrenchment at the local government level. He directed the chairpersons to establish a mechanism that would lead to the implementation of the minimum wage while urging patience from the workers. “We are working closely with the 27 local governments to ensure the implementation of the minimum wage,” Zulum assured.
