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Minimum Wage 2026: What every state in Nigeria pays
On July 18, 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed into law a new national minimum wage of N70,000 after intense negotiations with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress.
The reform also shortened the wage review cycle from five years to three — a move aimed at keeping workers’ earnings in line with economic realities.
Now, more than two years later, implementation across Nigeria tells a mixed story.
MoreStories
May 11, 2026
May 11, 2026
While some states have gone beyond the federal benchmark, others are just meeting it — and a few are still struggling to fully implement it.
Nairametrics Research has put together the minimum wage approve for states in Nigeria as of April 30, 2026. We relied on the official minimum wage pronouncements from every state since 2024.
Here’s a comprehensive look at what states are currently paying as of April 2026:
N100,000 and above
The Imo State Government officially commenced payment of a new N104,000 minimum wage to workers, exceeding the national benchmark of N70,000.
Governor Hope Uzodimma fulfilled the promise as part of efforts to improve worker welfare, with employees receiving payment alerts reflecting the revised salary structure as of early October 2025.
Under the new pay framework, medical doctors are set to earn N513,000, while entry-level lecturers in state tertiary institutions receive N220,000.
**N90,000 – N99,999 **
The Ebonyi State Government, under Governor Francis Nwifuru, implemented a new minimum wage of N90,000 for civil servants, raising it from N70,000 as announced on August 27, 2025, with immediate effect to enhance worker welfare.
Earlier, in August 2024, the governor had approved the payment of a N70,000 minimum wage for state civil servants.
**N80,000 – N89,999 **
In October 2024, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State, announced that his administration would implement a new minimum wage of N85,000 for workers.
Prior to this approval, the state had already been paying a N35,000 wage award alongside the existing minimum wage, which pushed workers’ minimum take-home pay above N70,000 as far back as January 2024.
The Rivers State Government, under Governor Siminalayi Fubara, began paying an improved minimum wage of N85,000 to state workers, starting with the November 2024 salaries.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, approved and commenced payment of an N80,000 minimum wage for state and local government civil servants, starting in November 2024.
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State approved a minimum wage of N80,000 for state and local government workers, effective October 2024.
The state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Fabian Nwigbo; his counterpart in the Trade Union Congress, Ben Asogwa; and the chairman of the state’s Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Ezekiel Omeh, confirmed that the new wage was reflected in workers’ November 2024 salaries.
Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State approved the payment of a N80,000 minimum wage for civil servants, effective November 2024.
Reports from January 2025 also indicated that the governor directed the Office of the Accountant General to implement the new wage for about 45,984 verified public servants in the state, with payments taking effect from that period.
As of April 2026, reports indicate that the Bayelsa State Government has been making progress toward the full implementation of a new minimum wage, including efforts to clear outstanding salary arrears.
In June 2025, the state government confirmed the commencement of implementation of a new N80,000 minimum wage for civil servants.
Governor Douye Diri had earlier reaffirmed during the 2025 May Day celebrations that his administration was committed to the wage increase, along with additional salary increments of 25% and 35%.
Prior to this, in late 2024, the governor had announced a revised wage structure for state workers, which took effect from November 1, 2024.
The Oyo State Government confirmed the implementation of a new N80,000 minimum wage structure, effective January 2025. In March 2026, the state government also announced a N10,000 monthly allowance for all state and local government workers to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices. The policy took effect in April 2026 and is scheduled to run for an initial period of three months.
**N75,000 – N79,999 **
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State approved a new minimum wage of N77,000 for state workers, effective from October 2024, as confirmed by BCOS Television.
In September 2025, organised labour in the state demanded a revised minimum wage of N150,000 for civil servants, citing rising economic hardship and the need to improve workers’ living conditions.
In May 2024, the Edo State Government began paying the new N70,000 minimum wage to workers across the state.
At the time, then-Governor Godwin Obaseki announced the increase from N40,000 to N70,000 as a measure to cushion the impact of harsh economic conditions on residents.
Later, under Governor Monday Okpebholo, the state further reviewed the wage upward, approving a new minimum wage of N75,000 to improve workers’ standard of living and respond to ongoing economic pressures.
Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State approved and commenced payment of a N75,000 minimum wage for civil servants, exceeding the national benchmark of N70,000.
The payment, which took effect in October 2024, covers state, local government, and education authority workers, and is aimed at reducing the impact of rising living costs.
The Benue State Government has approved the full implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage for local government staff, including education and primary healthcare workers, with 100 percent payment set to commence in May 2026 after the clearance of the final 43 percent balance.
Earlier, Governor Hyacinth Alia had approved a N75,000 wage structure for specific categories of workers, exceeding the federal minimum wage benchmark.
Osun State Government initially approved the implementation of a N75,554.28 minimum wage commenced on December 1, 2024, ongoing updates in early 2026 indicate a full, 100% implementation for all local government staff and related sectors began as of April 2026.
Ondo State began implementing a new minimum wage of N73,000 for state civil servants in November 2024, as announced by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to improve worker welfare.
While many workers began receiving the updated salary, some institutions, including Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, experienced protests in February 2026 over delays in full implementation, with some staff still on the old pay structure.
Despite the rollout, labour tensions persisted, with workers also pushing for further upward reviews—some demanding over N250,000 in late 2025 due to worsening economic conditions.
The Kaduna State Government has begun paying a new minimum wage of N72,000 to public servants.
Implementation for some categories of workers, including local government staff, primary school teachers, and primary health care workers, was scheduled to commence from October 2025.
Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has commenced the implementation of a new minimum wage of N72,500 for state civil servants, effective October 2024.
In April 2026, the Gombe State Government ordered the full implementation of a new minimum wage of N71,451.15 for state civil servants and local government employees, fulfilling its commitment to improve worker welfare. The approval also extends to both state and local government staff, addressing earlier concerns about disparities in salary structure.
The Head of Civil Service, Professor Muazu Shehu, conveyed the governor’s directive in an official statement, noting that the policy covers workers in the 11 Local Government Councils, the Local Education Authority, and primary healthcare services, with full implementation set to take effect from May 2026.
In November 2024, the Kano State Government commenced the implementation of the newly approved minimum wage of N71,000 for its workers.
In December 2024, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State confirmed that his administration was already paying N70,500 as the new national minimum wage to civil servants in the state.
The governor clarified that the demand from organised labour was not for the minimum wage itself, but for consequential salary adjustments, which the state government said it currently lacked the resources to implement.
This followed strike action by civil servants under organised labour unions over the government’s initial delay in fully implementing the N70,000 national minimum wage signed into law by the federal government. Workers had shut down ministries, departments, and agencies across the state to press their demands.
Katsina State has approved the full implementation of a N70,000 minimum wage for state and local government staff, effective December 2024, with full 100% payment structure in place as of early 2026.
**N70,000 (Federal benchmark level) **
States at N70,000 include:
**Below N70,000 / not fully implemented **
The Zamfara State Government, under Governor Dauda Lawal, stated that it would begin implementing the new N70,000 national minimum wage following a workforce verification exercise, according to its December 2024 update.
The state had earlier commenced payment of the former N30,000 minimum wage in June 2024, alongside efforts to clear outstanding salary arrears.
In December 2024, the state government and organised labour signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, with plans to begin payment in March 2025 after the verification exercise.
However, as of April 2026, there is no indication that the new N70,000 minimum wage has been fully implemented in the state.
**What This Means for Nigerian Workers **
Two years on, the N70,000 minimum wage has clearly not been implemented uniformly. While some states are competing to offer higher wages, others are barely meeting the minimum — and a few are still negotiating.
Rising inflation and cost of living have also triggered fresh demands, with labour unions in several states pushing for wages far above N100,000.
With the next wage review cycle approaching under the new three-year rule, pressure is already mounting on governments at all levels to do more.
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