|
Listen to article
|
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has revealed that Lagos State will adopt a minimum wage of ₦85,000 for its workforce, exceeding the Federal Government’s recently approved ₦70,000 by ₦15,000, as part of efforts to enhance employee welfare in the state.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced that the state will implement a new minimum wage of N85,000 for its workers, surpassing the N70,000 benchmark set by the Federal Government in July by N15,000. This move is aimed at improving the livelihood of public servants in the state.After months of intense deliberations involving government representatives, labor unions, and private sector stakeholders, President Bola Tinubu signed the N70,000 minimum wage bill into law in July, establishing a new benchmark for worker pay.
“I am glad to let you know that the minimum wage for Lagos which we conversed and discussed with our union is N85,000 today,” Sanwo-Olu said on the programme.
“It is not a competition, so I am not going to say we are paying more than some other people, it is a function of affordability and it is a function of capacity, but we know too well that when people live in Lagos, Lagos has a premium in terms of even the cost of living, we are fully aware.”
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Governor Sanwo-Olu clarified that Lagos State’s decision to implement the N85,000 minimum wage was not aimed at surpassing other states, but rather because it has the financial capacity to support its workforce at that level.
“We actually increased salaries earlier in the year and deserving so for our staff and we will continue to do that.
“I would like to come back to you in January to say I have been able to increase the minimum wage of Lagos to N100,000 not because I want to make anybody look bad, it is really because I want my people to have a living wage, I want them to really be able to know that government is working for them,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that Lagos had increased the salaries of state workers earlier this year and expressed his desire to push the minimum wage further to N100,000 by January 2025. His vision reflects the words of Nelson Mandela: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
Read also: EFCC Challenges Ex-Lagos Speaker Ikuforiji In Appeal Court
According to him, his administration is aiming to grow Lagos to a city that truly works for everyone irrespective of where they are coming from.
Lagos is known for heavy traffic congestion, but the governor said it is also his dream to have a Lagos that has a predictable journey time.
“The dream identity will be a Lagos that truly works for everyone, a Lagos where you can have predictable journey time.
“You can come out of your house or your office and be able to safely say that in 30 minutes, 35 minutes plus or minus 5 minutes, you can be able to get to a predictable destination.”
He also wishes to make Lagos an enabling environment and the government continues to provide environment where business continue to grow and thrive.
