Gov Alia approves N75,000 minimum wage for Benue workers

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has approved a minimum wage of N75,000 for workers in the state.

Alia announced the approval on Monday night at the State Secretariat after a meeting with representatives of the organised labour in Makurdi.

The governor in a statement by his spokesman, Tersoo Kula, noted that the remaining three months of the five-month backlog of arrears promised to the union would be paid as captured in the 2024 budget, along with the minimum wage, effective November 2024.

He said, “We are implementing a new national minimum wage of seventy-five thousand naira (₦75,000). We decided to set the wage at ₦75,000, fully aware of the other concerns raised by organised labour during the negotiations. These concerns included a minimum wage of N30,000, wage awards, transportation allowances, tax relief, and work-off days, among others.

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“Recall that the President had approved the sum of ₦70,000, which we have decided to exceed, considering the concerns raised by organised labour regarding our ability to pay.”

He stated that his government remained committed to serving the people, stressing that he would do everything legitimately possible to ensure that Benue State workers are properly taken care of.