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Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has urged President Bola Tinubu to consider increasing the national minimum wage from N70,000 to N100,000.
AbdulRazaq made the appeal on Friday during a meeting between the president and state governors held at the Presidential Villa in Lagos.
He explained that after statutory obligations such as salary payments, some state governments are left with limited balances from federal allocations.
The governor further stated that states are now in a stronger financial position, with reduced reliance on borrowing and debt instruments for recurrent expenditure.
He added that many states are already paying above the national minimum wage, with some reportedly implementing levels close to N100,000.
AbdulRazaq then appealed for discussions on formalising a new wage structure, suggesting that the minimum wage be reviewed upward to at least N100,000.
He expressed confidence that state governors would support such an adjustment if approved at the federal level.
“I can say as a matter of fact, in my own state, when we get the FAAC allocation, after paying salaries, we’re left with N100 or N200 million.
“I urge your excellency, let’s have a discussion on moving the minimum wage to a minimum of 100,000,” he said.
“We know we’ll get support from you as we go ahead to implement that.”
Commending Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidy, the NGF chairman described the move as a bold policy choice, noting that only a small fraction of political leaders are willing to take such decisions.
He also said state governments had anticipated widespread public protests following the subsidy removal but were surprised by the relative calm that followed.
According to him, governors had made security preparations in expectation of unrest, citing previous nationwide demonstrations over economic issues.
He said funds were expended to mobilise security agencies across states in anticipation of possible disruptions, adding that the situation eventually remained peaceful.
“We were expecting serious riots, because there were riots, #EndBadGovernance riots, even before then and for lesser issues,” the governor said.
“Well, lo and behold, we spent money and mobilised the security agencies to secure the states. Lo and behold, on that day, nothing happened. There was no riot and protest anywhere.
“I think the nation was shocked by the audacity of Mr President to implement that serious policy. Today, we’ve benefited immensely from that policy,”he added.
AbdulRazaq also noted that despite initial fears, the policy has begun to yield fiscal benefits for states.
In June 2024, President Tinubu signed into law an increase of the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000, with provisions for periodic review every three years.
The previous minimum wage of N30,000 had been approved in 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
