The Borno State Government has attributed the difficulty in implementing the N70,000 minimum wage for local government workers to an over-bloated workforce. With approximately 90,000 staff across its 27 local government areas, Borno’s workforce is significantly larger compared to other states with similar or larger populations.
Key Challenges:
- Over-stretched Resources: The state’s local government councils are struggling to cope with the large number of employees, making it difficult to implement the minimum wage.
- Financial Strain: Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, for example, needs N778 million to pay the minimum wage, which exceeds its monthly allocation from the Federal Government.
- Comparison to Other States: Kano State, with a population three times larger than Borno’s, has a comparatively leaner staff structure of about 30,000 employees across its 44 local government areas.
Government Response:
- Governor’s Directive: Governor Babagana Zulum has directed local government chairpersons to engage with stakeholders and find a workable solution to the salary problem.
- No Retrenchment: The governor has assured that there will be no staff retrenchment at the local government level and has directed the institution of a mechanism to implement the minimum wage.
- Payment of Minimum Wage to State Workers: The governor emphasized that the N70,000 minimum wage has been fully implemented for state civil servants and primary school teachers in Borno.
