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Governors’ Emergency Meeting Kicks Off In Abuja

As the intrigue and discourse about a new minimum wage continue, some governors have made their position known on the topical issue.

Under the auspices of the Southern Governors’ Forum, the governors of Southern Nigeria declared that when determining a new minimum wage, states’ financial capacities must be taken into account.

The governors said that states ought to be free to make whatever payments they can and that imposing a new minimum for all states may strain the resources of some subnationals. This is in addition to the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) announcing on Wednesday night that it will keep interacting with interested parties in an effort to find a compromise on how to handle the new minimum wage issue.

Despite President Bola Tinubu’s extraordinary attendance at the National Economic Council meetings, which Vice President Kashim Shettima frequently chairs, Vice President Tinubu remained silent over the new minimum wage. Nor did the vice president address the matter.

However, the governors in a 16-point communique issued yesterday, also advocated that each state be allowed to negotiate the new wage with the labour unions.

“The Forum discussed the minimum wage issues demanded by labour and unanimously agreed that the minimum wage should be reflective of the cost of living and that each state should be allowed to negotiate its minimum wage.

‘’This led to the forum’s discussion on fiscal federalism and devolution of powers,” the communique read.

Rising from a meeting of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, in Abuja in the early hours of yesterday, governors of the 36 states of the federation promised to remain dedicated to the process and assured that better wages would result from the ongoing negotiations.

At the meeting were governors of Oyo, Zamfara, Anambra, Delta, Gombe, Kano, Imo, Kwara, Ondo, Kaduna, Kebbi, Ebonyi, Sokoto, Ogun States, among others

Deputy governors of Akwa Ibom, Osun, Borno States, and others were also at the meeting.

In the communique signed at the end of the meeting by NGF chairman and governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governors said: “The Forum discussed the new national minimum wage.

“The governors agreed to continue engaging with key stakeholders to reach a mutually agreeable solution. We remain dedicated to the process and assure that better wages will result from the ongoing negotiations.”

The governors’ ultimate minimum wage decision demonstrates their dedication to striking a balance between fiscal sustainability, worker welfare, and state economic development. In order to address the various economic issues that states confront, the Southern Governors’ Forum advocates for a decentralized approach to wage negotiations and places a strong emphasis on financial competence. This strategy is intended to foster inclusive growth and social fairness. As Nigeria proceeds along its path toward sustainable growth and economic recovery, paying workers fairly continues to be a crucial component of socioeconomic advancement.

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