The Borno State Government, under Governor Babagana Zulum, has directed all 27 local government area chairmen to immediately implement a ₦70,000 minimum wage for council workers across the state. The order came during a high‑level meeting with leaders from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), held at the Government House in Maiduguri on Sunday.
Zulum noted that the wage had already been fully implemented for state civil servants and primary school teachers. He cautioned against retrenchment as a means to manage costs at the local government level, urging LGA chairmen to develop practical solutions and engage relevant stakeholders to sustain the minimum wage without layoffs.
However, officials highlighted a significant challenge: a workforce bloated to roughly 90,000 staff across the 27 local governments, three times that of larger states like Kano, making implementation financially burdensome. For instance, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council alone would require approximately ₦778 million monthly just to pay the ₦70,000 wage while barely meeting essential expenses. The Permanent Secretary of Local Government and Emirate Affairs described the situation as a structural challenge that must be addressed collaboratively.
