The Borno State Government has cited an inflated local government workforce as the major reason behind its inability to implement the N70,000 minimum wage for council workers across the state.
During a high-level meeting at the Government House in Maiduguri on Saturday night, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Modu Alhaji Mustapha, explained that the bloated staff structure has overwhelmed the local government payroll system.
Mustapha noted that the state’s 27 local government areas collectively employ around 90,000 staff. He compared this to Kano State, which, despite having a population three times that of Borno, runs its 44 LGAs with just 30,000 employees.
“While the intention behind the minimum wage increase is laudable, the reality on the ground in Borno is far more complex,” he said.
He highlighted the case of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, which sometimes receives less than N700 million in federal allocation monthly but would require about N778 million to implement the new minimum wage leaving no funds for essential services such as healthcare, water supply, and security.
In response to the issue, Governor Babagana Zulum directed all 27 local government chairpersons to return to their constituencies and consult with stakeholders to find practical solutions.
“I want to stress that the payment of N72,000 minimum wage has been fully implemented for state civil servants and all primary school teachers in Borno,” the governor stated.
He, however, warned against retrenchment, insisting that no local government staff should lose their job over the wage implementation challenges.
“We are not in support of staff retrenchment at the local government level. Instead, I direct you to create mechanisms that will lead to full implementation of the minimum wage,” Zulum said.
He appealed to local government workers for patience and assured them of the government’s commitment to resolving the matter.
