The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has authorised the immediate payment of N70,000 as the new minimum wage for all administrative staff.
This announcement was made in a statement released on Tuesday, signed by Anthony Odeh, the Press Secretary to the Head of the Civil Service of the FCT.
This decision follows President Bola Tinubu’s signing of the new Minimum Wage Bill into law in May 2024. After extensive negotiations with organised labour, the bill set the minimum wage at N70,000.
It can be recalled that the FCT chapters of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress had threatened to initiate strike action on November 30, 2024, in response to directives from their national bodies concerning implementing the minimum wage in several states, including the FCT.
The unions had raised concerns over the Wike administration’s lack of engagement with labour representativ es since his inauguration in August 2023.
Despite these tensions, Wike approved the payment of the new minimum wage on Monday, November 18, 2024. The wage aims to alleviate the challenges faced by Federal Capital Territory Administration workers.
According to the statement, the acting head of the Civil Service of FCT, Mrs Grace Adayilo, further revealed that the minister also sanctioned the payment of three months’ arrears for all administration staff effective November 2024.
“This gesture will motivate the entire administration staff to rally around the minister as he continues to advance President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” stated the Head of Service.
He stated that the announcement underscores the minister’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the welfare and well-being of the FCT administration staff.
