‘Fake News’, Kwara denies ₦43,000 minimum wage offer amid ongoing national negotiations

Amid ongoing national wage negotiations, Kwara state government has vehemently denied claims circulating on social media regarding the state’s proposed minimum wage.

The denial comes in response to a tweet by a well-known political activist, Ayekoto, which listed Kwara’s proposed minimum wage at ₦43,000.

Ayekoto, who boasts over 300,000 followers on the platform formerly known as Twitter (now X), posted a list detailing what each of Nigeria’s 36 states is purportedly offering to pay as minimum wage.

In his tweet, Ayekoto included Kwara State among those with a minimum wage offer significantly lower than the proposals put forth by labor unions.

The list sparked widespread reactions and discussions online, with many scrutinizing the figures amid ongoing national negotiations for a new minimum wage.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, has thereby responded to the tweet, labeling it as “FAKE NEWS” and urging the public to disregard the misinformation.

“Please note that this is FAKE NEWS as far as Kwara is concerned. You guys should calm down pls,” Ajakaye wrote on his X page.

He further criticized the dissemination of unverified information, adding, “These fellows will just sit in their room and concoct all kinds of nonsense. Where did @followKWSG (Kwara Government) tell you that it is offering 43,000 as minimum wage? Just keep quiet and stop heating up the polity abeg. Decorum in the name of God pls!”

This controversy arises amid a backdrop of intensified discussions between labor unions and the federal government.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had previously embarked on a nationwide strike after negotiations on a new minimum wage reached an impasse.

While the unions proposed a new minimum wage of ₦250,000, the federal government recently increased its offer from ₦60,000 to ₦62,000, a figure still contested by labor representatives.

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), chaired by Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has also weighed in on the matter.

The NGF has called for a realistic approach to the minimum wage issue, emphasizing the need for a sustainable figure.

“All things considered, the NGF holds that the N60,000 minimum wage proposal is not sustainable and cannot fly. It will simply mean that many states will spend all their FAAC allocations on just paying salaries with nothing left for development purposes,” the forum stated.

Hajiya Halimah Salihu Ahmed, the Acting Director on Media and Public Affairs for the NGF, reiterated this stance in a recent statement.

“The governors are of the opinion that the N60,000 proposal is not sustainable and cannot fly,” Ahmed said, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that considers both workers’ needs and the financial capacities of the states.