The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has applauded the governments of Imo and Ebonyi States for reviewing workers’ minimum wage upward, describing the move as a timely response to Nigeria’s current economic realities.
NECA’s Director-General, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, gave the commendation while speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme.
Imo State recently approved a new minimum wage of N104,000 for civil servants, while Ebonyi State announced N90,000. Oyerinde said the decisions reflected either increased inflows from the Federation Account, prudent resource management, or improved worker productivity.
“Workers are the key drivers of the economy. And whatever will increase productivity or drive motivation, especially with the fuel subsidy removal and other reforms carried out, should not be toyed with,” he said.
He urged other governors to follow the same path, stressing that states have no excuse not to improve worker compensation, given present revenue levels. He added that enhancing wages would not only boost productivity but also strengthen the resilience of the workforce.
Oyerinde further called on states to deploy increased federal allocations to address wider economic challenges in order to sustain wage adjustments. He commended some subnational governments for introducing compressed natural gas (CNG) buses to ease transportation for workers but advised them to also prioritise food security and housing solutions.
On the revenue side, the NECA boss acknowledged that many states have recorded sharp increases in internally generated revenue but warned that the development may have come at the expense of private businesses.
He said this runs contrary to the Federal Government’s drive to reduce tax burdens under the newly signed tax reform law.
He also cautioned states against focusing exclusively on infrastructure projects at the expense of human capital development.
“If you don’t train the workers, you are basically sabotaging yourself as a government. Beyond pooling funds or paying minimum wage, states must invest in equipping workers—just as the private sector does. That way, the context of productivity will align with wage demand,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of capacity-building, Oyerinde cited NECA’s ongoing partnership with Microsoft to train Nigerians in artificial intelligence skills as an example of how targeted investment in human resources can drive sustainable growth.
