Katsina Governor Dikko Radda sparked controversy by stating each Nigerian state should set its minimum wage, not the federal government, amid ongoing labor demands for N250,000 minimum pay. His comments drew backlash from unions and reignited debates over decentralized wage policies.
The governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, has stoked controversy by stating each of Nigeria's 36 states should have autonomy to set its minimum wage rather than having a federally mandated national minimum wage.
"It is only in Nigeria that we have one single minimum wage for laborers across all states. In other countries, different states have different minimum wages based on sustainability and affordability," Radda said in a television interview Sunday.
Radda's comments come amid an intensifying labor dispute over the national minimum wage. The federal government has proposed raising the minimum to N62,000 (around USD 170) per month, but labor unions are demanding a much higher N250,000 naira minimum, equal to nearly USD 690. The governor argued that state governments should not be forced to implement minimum wage levels they cannot realistically afford based on their budgets and economies.
"What is the need for the state government to agree to pay N100,000 if they can't implement it?" Radda asked rhetorically.
Nigeria's minimum wage is currently determined at the federal level under the exclusive legislative list. But Radda believes this centralized approach is misguided, arguing each state should control its wage floor aligned with local conditions.
As tensions escalate, the threat of a resumption of debilitating labor strikes across the country looms in the coming days unless a breakthrough in negotiations can be achieved.
