Governors Urge Tinubu to Raise Minimum Wage to N100,000 as Federal Revenue Improves

State governors, under the umbrella of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), have called on President Bola Tinubu to increase the national minimum wage to N100,000, citing improved federal revenue allocations and the positive impact of economic reforms on state finances.

NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq made the appeal during a meeting with President Tinubu in Lagos on Friday, attended by 16 governors and two deputy governors.

‘States Are Reducing Their Debt’

“Many states were subject to issuing bonds just to stay afloat,” AbdulRazaq said. “Today, states are not going to borrow money for recurrent expenditure — we are reducing our debt.”

The call comes as labour unions prepare for the July minimum wage renegotiations, with organised labour expected to push for a figure significantly higher than the current N70,000.

Tinubu Defends Economic Reforms

President Tinubu, in his response, defended the administration’s economic policies, saying the country had been pulled back from the brink of financial collapse.

“It was challenging at the time, but we survived,” Tinubu said. “Instead of bankruptcy, Nigeria has survived. The economy has recovered. Agriculture is booming. The housing industry is coming on very well.”

Vice President Kashim Shettima also praised what he described as Tinubu’s courageous decision to remove the fuel subsidy, while governors acknowledged that the policy had freed up resources for state governments to reduce their debt profiles.

Sources: Leadership, NewsPosL, The Nation