Katsina Government Approves New Minimum Wage

The Katsina State government has approved the new N70,000 minimum wage for its workers.

News reports states that the decision follows nine hours of deliberations between representatives of the state government and labour unions.

According to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abdullahi Faskari, the agreement was reached in the early hours of Saturday morning. “This landmark decision followed nine hours of intense deliberations between representatives of the state government and labour unions,” Faskari told reporters at the end of the meeting.

The SSG explained that the discussions focused on reconciling workers’ demands with the government’s financial capacity, ensuring that the new wage policy is sustainable while addressing the economic realities faced by the workforce.

Faskari praised Governor Dikko Umar Radda’s administration for prioritizing the needs of civil servants and fostering harmonious labour relations.

“The decision is a testament to the Governor Dikko Umar Radda administration’s dedication to prioritizing the needs of civil servants and fostering harmonious Labour relations,” he said.

The agreement comes after a series of negotiations between the state government and labour unions. Earlier on Friday afternoon, deliberations between the parties had hit the rocks with representatives of the Labour unions staging a walk-out following seeming “irreconcilable differences.”

The deadlock arose after the government insisted that payment of the new minimum wage should begin in January 2025, while Labour stood its ground that it should start with the December 2024 salaries. However, after reconvening later, the talks dragged on, ending at about 1.30 am on Saturday.