Minimum wage: Lagos committed to workers’ welfare, says commissioner

Gbenga Omotoso, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State, on Monday, stated that the state government is already demonstrating its commitment to the welfare of its workforce.

The commissioner made this statement in response to questions about whether the state government was willing to commit to implementing the proposed N60,000 minimum wage.

Omotoso emphasized that the well-being of workers is a paramount concern for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, and that the amount of the minimum wage should not be a point of contention.

Last week, governors, under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum, rejected the proposed N60,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

In a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Media and Public Affairs for NGF, Halimah Ahmed, the governors said the proposed minimum wage was too high and unsustainable.

In May, the Edo State Government increased the minimum wage for state workers to N70,000. Additionally, according to 2023 data from the National Bureau of Statistics, Lagos, Rivers, and the Federal Capital Territory are among the states with the highest revenue generation.

During a phone conversation, Gbenga Omotoso stated, “In Lagos’ case, the discussion should focus on the state’s existing commitments to workers’ welfare, rather than its capacity to pay. Last year, we implemented a wage increase, exceeding the federal government’s award of N45,000. Our governor fulfilled his promise to workers without waiting for a general consensus. When you calculate the total package, the minimum earnings for a Lagos worker is around N45,000.

“It is about looking at the responsibility of each state, which I think the NGF is considering. I don’t also know of any other state that has the number of civil servants that we have in Lagos. So for us, it’s not about the capacity, it is about the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

“Some of the things that an average Lagos worker is enjoying, nobody is calculating them in naira and kobo, in terms of buses taking our workers to work and home. Recently, the governor approved a 40 per cent discount on planning permits for workers. Workers are also getting a substantial quota of the food packs that we’re distributing. They are never left behind.”