The implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage for workers in Kwara and Sokoto states has been met with mixed reactions, as heavy taxation continues to reduce the take-home pay of employees, despite the government’s efforts to meet the wage increase.
In Kwara, the new minimum wage has been in effect since October 2024 for local government staff, but according to the state branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), workers are facing significant deductions due to taxes. Muritala Olayinka, the NLC state chairman, confirmed that while the new salary has been implemented across all worker categories, the three-month tax relief granted by the state government expired in December 2024. The tax relief, which had been hoped to ease the financial burden, has now ended, with tax deductions resuming in January.
“We had appealed for a one-year tax holiday, but the government only granted a three-month period. We are still awaiting a response to our letter requesting an extension of the tax relief,” Olayinka said. He expressed hopes that the state government would be receptive to the appeal.
In Sokoto, workers have also begun to benefit from the new salary structure. Abdullahi Umar, a teacher in the state, confirmed that the full implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage started in January, though payments for January and February were delayed due to the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) distribution. Local government workers like Usman Abdullah have received an additional N50,000 to their previous salary, though some workers are still feeling the effects of earlier delays in wage implementation.
In contrast, data from the National Union of Teachers (NUT) highlighted that several states, including Zamfara, Yobe, Taraba, Sokoto, and others, have yet to fully implement the 2019 N30,000 minimum wage for teachers. Some teachers are appealing to the federal government for intervention, with one teacher from Yobe lamenting, “We haven’t even benefited from the previous minimum wage. How can we now talk about enjoying the N70,000?”
Further complicating the situation, workers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are also voicing dissatisfaction. Teachers in public primary schools in the FCT have been on strike multiple times in recent months, protesting the failure of the area councils to implement the N70,000 minimum wage. As of March 2025, teachers in the FCT were on their fourth strike in four months, with no immediate resolution in sight.
The situation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by workers across Nigeria, who, despite the national wage increase, continue to struggle with delayed payments, high taxes, and inconsistent implementation across various states.
As the NLC continues to press for further tax relief and full wage implementation, it remains to be seen how the federal and state governments will address these issues moving forward.
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