Local government workers in Borno, Gombe and Kaduna states are not being paid the national minimum wage, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has alleged.
The union’s president general, Aliyu Kankara, made the claim after a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, Guardian Nigeria reported.
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Mr Kankara said many states were still paying the old ₦30,000 minimum wage, while only a few had begun implementing the new ₦70,000 rate. Even in those states, he said, the wage was not being fully implemented.
“Among states that are not paying national minimum wage for local government workers are Kaduna, Gombe and Borno states,” he said.
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“Our members in Kaduna State have issued an ultimatum to go on strike if the new wage is not implemented.”
The NEC described the non-payment as “callous and unfair” given the economic hardship in the country, while also commending states that had adjusted their wage structures.
Mr Kankara also criticised the withholding of local government councils’ allocations in Osun State, describing it as “political”. Despite the shortfall, he praised the Osun government for paying the new wage.
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The NEC called on the federal government to restore the seized funds, warning that the freeze had disrupted development and worsened livelihoods.
The NULGE president added that despite a Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to local councils, no council currently receives its allocation directly from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
He urged President Bola Tinubu to enforce the judgment, saying this would strengthen governance at the local level.
