As economic hardship bites harder across Nigeria, all fingers point to Aso Rock. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has become the focal point of public anger and frustration. But amid the noise and chaos, a critical truth is often overlooked: the real culprits behind much of the suffering are not always in Abuja—they sit in Government Houses across 36 states.
After signing the N70,000 minimum wage into law in July 2024, the President fulfilled a key responsibility—responding to the cries of Nigerian workers, particularly those in the lowest-paid public service brackets. This wage adjustment, though still modest in today’s economy, was a gesture of empathy and reform. But implementation requires more than ink on a signature page; it requires political will from the governors.
So far, only a handful of state governments—Lagos, Rivers, Kwara, Enugu, and Akwa Ibom among them—have complied with the new wage policy across all public sectors. Others have either cherry-picked who gets paid or outright ignored the directive, especially at the local government and primary education levels. Workers who bear the burden of service delivery remain unpaid, unmotivated, and unheard.
Meanwhile, many governors have turned to spectacle over substance—launching “flagship projects,” cutting ribbons, commissioning boreholes, or touting infrastructure achievements with glossy media campaigns. But what use is a flyover or mega market when the teacher educating your child hasn’t been paid the wage the law requires?
This is not governance. It is performance. And it is unacceptable.
In any functioning democracy, such a failure to uphold federal law—particularly one as critical as the national minimum wage—could warrant impeachment or judicial intervention. In South Korea, Brazil, and parts of Europe, public officers have been removed from office for less. But in Nigeria, governors continue to act with impunity, believing their constituents are too fatigued to care and too disempowered to act.
This must change.
The media, as the watchdog of democracy, has a duty to shine the spotlight where the real shadows lie. Nigerians deserve to know which of their governors are living up to their constitutional responsibilities—and which are simply playing politics with their people’s lives.
Enough of the blame games and convenient scapegoats. Nigerians must begin to demand accountability from all levels of government, starting with the one closest to them—their state and local leaders.
This is how democracy works. This is how nations rise.
Princess G. Adebajo-Fraser MFR.
The National Patriots.
Here’s a visual representation of the implementation status of the N70,000 minimum wage across Nigerian states:
States Paying Above N70,000 Minimum Wage:
Lagos State:
Rivers State:
Ogun State:
Gombe State:
Ondo State:
Kogi State:
Kebbi State:
Kaduna State:
Kano State:
States Paying N70,000 Minimum Wage:
Anambra State:
Katsina State:
Ebonyi State:
Adamawa State:
Akwa Ibom State:
Enugu State:
Bayelsa State:
Niger State:
Abia State:
Jigawa State:
Borno State:
Ekiti State:
Cross River State:
States Yet to Implement N70,000 Minimum Wage:
Bauchi State:
Benue State:
Imo State:
Kaduna State:
Kano State:
Nasarawa State:
Osun State:
Oyo State:
Plateau State:
Sokoto State:
Taraba State:
Yobe State:
Zamfara State:
Note: The above information is based on reports as of October 2024. For the most current status, please refer to official state communications.
Dr. Amiida
The National Patriots.
Here are some title options with a philosophical and patriotic tone, tailored for HeadlineNews.News:
“Beyond Abuja: The Governors Failing Their People in Silence” Member of the Diplomatic Corps.
“Wages of Neglect: When Governors Choose PR Over People” Professor, Elder & Leader of Socio Political Organisation.
“Democracy Betrayed at the State Level: Who Will Speak for the Workers?” – Legal Luminary.
“The Real Crisis Is in the States: Holding Governors Accountable” – State House of Assembly Member.
“Tinubu Takes the Blame, But the Burden Lies With the Governors” – Former Senator
“State of Deceit: When Ribbon-Cutting Replaces Responsible Governance” – House of Rep member.
“Silent Saboteurs: The Governors Undermining Democracy From Within”
Dr. Amiida, Headlinenews.news
“Economic Hardship and the Myth of Federal Responsibility”- UK Member of Parliament.
“Not Just Tinubu: The Hidden Hands Behind Nigeria’s Wage Crisis” – Comrade Bello.
“If the Governors Fail, Democracy Fails”.
Princess Gloria Adebajo-Fraser. MFR
The National Patriots.
These comments are reactions from the readership to this piece.
Compiled by Headlinenews.news.
