By Douglas Princemola
The Ebonyi State Government has announced an upward review of the state’s minimum wage, increasing it from ₦70,000 to ₦90,000. This development was made public during a press briefing by the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Ikeuwa Omebe, following a State Executive Council meeting held in Abakaliki.
According to Omebe, the wage increment is part of the state government’s broader efforts to support civil servants amid rising inflation and economic challenges. He stated that the adjustment is not politically motivated but aimed at improving the standard of living for workers.
The decision to raise the minimum wage to ₦90,000 is strictly a welfare-driven policy aimed at easing the burden on our civil servants,” the Commissioner said.
In addition to the wage increase, Chief Omebe disclosed that the government has cleared outstanding pension and gratuity arrears for retired state workers, some of which date as far back as 1996. This move is expected to bring relief to pensioners who have long awaited the payment of their entitlements.
The Commissioner also noted that a verification process is currently ongoing for local government retirees to enable the prompt disbursement of their overdue benefits. He said the administration is working to ensure that no retiree is left out in the effort to improve public service welfare.
With this announcement, Ebonyi joins a growing list of Nigerian states implementing wage increases to reflect current economic realities. However, at ₦90,000, the new minimum wage still falls short of benchmarks recently set by neighboring states. For instance, Imo State earlier in the week approved a minimum wage of ₦104,000 for its civil servants, with higher pay scales for medical doctors and staff in tertiary institutions.
Still, Ebonyi’s wage increase represents a 28.6 percent improvement from the previous amount and is expected to bring relief to thousands of workers across the state.
Labour unions and civil society organizations have long called on state governments to adjust wages in line with Nigeria’s rising cost of living. The decision by Ebonyi State is likely to be welcomed by workers and unions who have expressed dissatisfaction with stagnant salaries amid inflation, currency devaluation, and high fuel prices.
Observers caution, however, that such wage increases must be accompanied by sound financial planning and sustainable revenue strategies to avoid placing strain on the state’s budget.
The wage adjustment and pension payments mark a shift in Ebonyi State’s approach to civil service welfare. If well managed and sustained, the policy could help improve worker morale and promote better public sector performance.
