Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said that the state government will pay a new minimum wage of N85,000 to workers in the state.
President Bola Tinubu signed the new N70,000 minimum wage bill into law in July, ending months of deliberations between government representatives, labour unions and the private sector.
Sanwo-Olu, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, said the state is not paying N85,000 to outdo others but because it has the capacity to do so.
“I’m glad to let you know that the minimum wage for Lagos, which we’ve discussed with our union, is N85,000 today,” Sanwo-Olu said while responding to question from the anchor on the minimum wage.
The governor explained that the amount isn’t a competition with other states but a function of affordability of the state.
He boasted that the government may rise the minimum wage to N100,000 next as part of its commitment to give Lagos workers a living wage.
“It is not a competition, so I am not going to say we are paying more than some other people, it is a function of affordability and it is a function of capacity, but we know too well that when people live in Lagos, Lagos has a premium in terms of even the cost of living, we are fully aware.
“We actually increased salaries earlier in the year and deserving so for our staff and we will continue to do that.
“I would like to come back to you in January to say I have been able to increase the minimum wage of Lagos to N100,000 not because I want to make anybody look bad, it is really because I want my people to have a living wage, I want them to really be able to know that government is working for them,” the governor said.
