States reviewing fiscal space for sustainable minimum wage - NGF

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) says state governments are reviewing their individual fiscal space and the consequential impact of various recommendations to arrive at an improved minimum wage they can pay sustainably.

The forum stated this in a communiqué issued by its chairman, Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, on Thursday in Abuja after its meeting.

AbdulRazaq expressed the forum’s commitment to workingwith relevant stakeholders to achieve a better wage for Nigerian workers.

“Forum celebrates with workers across the country for their dedication to service and patience as we work with the Federal Government, labour, the organised private sector, and relevant stakeholders to arrive at an implementable national minimum wage.

“While we acknowledge the various initiatives adopted recently by way of wage awards and partial wage adjustments, it is imperative to state that the 37-member tripartite committee inaugurated on the National Minimum Wage is still in consultation and yet to conclude its work.

“As members of the committee, we are reviewing our individual fiscal space as state governments and the consequential impact of various recommendations to arrive at an improved minimum wage we can pay sustainably.

‘We remain committed to the process and promise that better wages will be the invariable outcome of ongoing negotiations,” he said.

AbdulRazaqalso said that the forum received the World Bank's outgoing Country Director, Mr. Shubham Chaudhuri, and the incoming Country Director, Mr. Ndiame Diop, to discuss the Bank’s vision for transitioning.

He said Chaudhuri commended the forum’s non-partisan character and its strategic role in coordinating collective action for developmental change.

The NGF chairman said that Chaudhuri also applauded the commitment of state governmentsto mutual accountability mechanisms such as performance-based financing interventions by the Bank.

AbdulRazaq said that the forum expressed confidence in the choice of Diop to lead the collaboration going forward and looked forward to a sustained and deepened relationship.

He said that the forum also discussed the revised National Policy on Justice (2024–2028) from the just-concluded National Summit on Justice on April 24 to April 25.

The Kwara governoradded that the governors agreed to consider the submissions from the summit as they might concern their individual states.

These, according to him, include the recommended legal amendments, administrative improvements, and policies to strengthen the justice sector.

He expressed the forum’s commitment to considering issues bordering on the remuneration of state judicial officers and the infrastructure of the courts.

AbdulRazaqsaid that governors alsoreceived a presentation from the National Human Capital Development (HCD) Programme—Core Working Group Secretariat—led by Ms. Rukaiya El-Rufai and Dr. Ahmad Abdulwahab.

The presentation, according to him, highlighted the marginal progress made by states and their contribution to Nigeria’s Human Development Index (HDI), especially across health, nutrition, education, and labour force participation.

“Having reviewed the previous programme design and national strategy, a revised governance and implementation roadmap was proposed to scale up impact and ensure sustainability.

“Members pledged to support the effective domestication of proposed revisions to the national health coverage strategy,” he said.

AbdulRazaq said that the forum also received delegations from the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABRE) and the Federal Ministry of Finance Programme Coordination Unit.

He commiserated with Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers and his Ogun counterpart, Gov. Dapo Abiodun, over the petrol tanker explosion and gas explosion that occurred in their states on April 26 and April 27, respectively.

The NGF Chairman called for proper maintenance of trucks, especially those fitted to convey compressed natural gas (CNG), and recommended appropriate training for truck drivers.

On the enforcement of regulations, he said the forum resolved to engage relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in order to align the activities of federal regulators with the operations of officials at the sub-national level.