Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has approved a minimum wage of N75,000 for civil servants in the state, surpassing the national benchmark of N70,000.
In a statement issued on Monday, Tersoo Kula, the governor’s chief press secretary, announced that the new minimum wage will take effect in November 2024.
Governor Alia made the declaration following a meeting with labour representatives, where he also addressed the settlement of three months’ worth of backlog arrears. The arrears, part of a five-month backlog, will be cleared under allocations provided in the 2024 state budget.
“We are implementing a new national minimum wage of seventy-five thousand naira (N75,000),” Alia said. “This decision reflects our commitment to addressing workers’ concerns raised during negotiations, including transportation allowances, tax relief, and work-off days.”
Alia emphasized that the welfare of Benue residents remains a priority for his administration. He also acknowledged the importance of clearing outstanding arrears to alleviate the financial challenges faced by workers.
This announcement follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval in July 2024 of a revised national minimum wage of N70,000, which the Benue government has chosen to exceed to better address the needs of its workforce.
Governor Alia reassured civil servants that his administration remains committed to fair treatment and improving their living conditions.
