Kano state Governor, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf has announced the approval N71,000 as minimum wage for civil servants.
According to a Statement by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Governor Yusuf said the new minimum wage will be effective from November 2024.
He stated this while receiving the Public Service Negotiation Committee Report headed by the state Head of Civil Service Musa Abdullahi.
According to him, “I will like to emphasize that Kano state has one of the largest workforces in Nigeria, reflective of our population and specific local needs together with our financial constraints, including the low Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) we inherited, we have decided to implement the new national minimum wage of N71,000.”
Governor Yusuf explained that the implementation of the minimum wage will increase the state’s monthly salary obligations by over N6bn, adding that an additional N7bn is needed for the 44 local government councils.
He emphasised that the approval by the present administration exemplifies commitment to social justice, economic growth, and enhanced living standards for the state workers and citizens.
He disclosed that the present government inherited an average monthly IGR of only N2bn, lamenting that by comparison, states such as Lagos generate an average of N54.3bn, Rivers N14.5 bn , Ogun N10.1bn and Delta N7.1 bn.
“This disparity highlights the urgent need for us to reform our domestic revenue generation strategies to meet our obligations to the people of Kano,” he said.
He charged the beneficiaries to enhance service delivery, continuously seek innovative solutions to improve public services and streamline processes, foster collaboration, appealing to them to work seamlessly together to ensure transparency and accountability.
The Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Musa who presented the report, said that the committee has done its best to ensure appropriate implementation of the new wage without difficulties.
The state chairman of Nigeria L.abour Congress, Kabiru Inuwa expressed gratitude to the governor for providing excellent welfare for civil servants and for approving the minimum wage.