Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has approved a minimum wage increase to N75,000 for state employees, according to a statement released on Monday by his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo.
The announcement, made at the State Secretariat after discussions with organized labour representatives, outlines that the new wage will be effective from November 2024.
Additionally, the state will clear three months of outstanding salary payments as part of this adjustment.
Governor Alia stated, “We are implementing a new national minimum wage of seventy-five thousand naira (N75,000),” acknowledging that this amount was set in consideration of workers’ requests, which included a N35,000 wage increase, transportation allowances, tax relief, and additional work-off days.
The governor emphasized that setting the wage above the national minimum of N70,000 aligns with his administration’s dedication to improving workers’ conditions.
He noted that the increased wage and arrears payments aim to ease financial pressures on state employees.