Sanwo-Olu
Minimum wage: We’re paying N85,000 in Lagos – Sanwo-Olu
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the state is paying N85,000 minimum wage to its workers.
This is 15,000 higher than the N70,000 approved by President Bola Tinubu as the Natiinal Minimum Wage in July, after months of deliberations between government representatives, labour unions and the private sector.
Sanwo-Olu said the state has the capacity to pay the N85,000 minimum wage not out of competition with others, was on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
According to him, “I am glad to let you know that the minimum wage for Lagos which we conversed and discussed with our union is N85,000 today.
“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.”
Earlier in the year, he said the state had increased the salary of workers, saying he wished to be able to make the minimum wage of N100,000 in January 2025.
Sanwo-Olu also recalled that, “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 also disclosed what he would want to be the Lagos identity in the nearest future, saying his administration is aiming to grow Lagos that truly works for everyone irrespective of where they are coming from.
“The dream identity will be a Lagos that truly works for everyone, a Lagos where you can have predictable journey time.
“You can come out of your house or your office and be able to safely say that in 30 minutes, 35 minutes plus or minus 5 minutes, you can be able to get to a predictable destination,” he said.
According to him, he also wished to make Lagos an enabling environment where business continues to grow and thrive.