Oyo State, under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde, has ranked third among Nigerian states paying the highest minimum wage.
The state’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, disclosed this in a statement released in Ibadan, the state capital, on Monday, December 16.
According to Oyelade, Lagos and Rivers States, which are endowed with abundant natural resources, currently pay a minimum wage of ₦85,000, while Oyo State pays ₦80,000. This places Oyo among the few states exceeding the recently approved federal minimum wage of ₦70,000.
The commissioner noted that while four other states also pay ₦80,000, none of them manages a workforce as large as Oyo’s. He listed the states paying ₦80,000 as:
- Akwa Ibom
- Bayelsa
- Oyo
- Enugu
- Niger
Oyelade emphasized that this achievement reflects Governor Makinde’s strong commitment to prioritizing the welfare of state workers. He stated:
“Oyo ranks third among states paying the highest minimum wage in Nigeria. Even without the N80,000 minimum wage, the state spends over N77 billion yearly on workers’ salaries, subventions, and wage awards.”