The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has said that state governments have no reason to pay civil servants less than the recently approved ₦70,000 minimum wage.

The group explained that rising federal allocations and the high cost of living across the country make it necessary for states to do more.

NECA’s Director General, Adewale Smatt-Oyerinde, made this point during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

He noted that monthly revenue from the Federation Account has continued to grow, making governors’ claims of being unable to meet the new wage unrealistic.

President Bola Tinubu signed the new wage bill into law in July 2024, raising the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 after several months of negotiations with labour unions, lawmakers, and the private sector.

Since then, some states have moved above the federal figure. Imo State announced ₦104,000 as its new minimum wage, while Ebonyi State approved ₦90,000 for its workers.

Smatt-Oyerinde argued that no state can genuinely claim financial weakness under the current situation. He stressed that with the cost of petrol, food, and housing rising daily, ₦70,000 is hardly enough to meet basic needs.

While he acknowledged the introduction of CNG buses in some states, he insisted that more must be done to improve living conditions for Nigerians.

He also explained that low wages directly affect productivity. According to him, workers who struggle with hunger, shelter, and transport challenges cannot perform effectively.

Fair pay, he said, motivates employees and helps boost reforms in both the private and public sectors.

The NECA boss urged governors to see workers as the “engine that drives the system” and not as expenses to be cut down.

He ended by reminding leaders of the International Labour Organization’s principle that workers should never be treated as commodities.