Ebonyi Approves New Minimum Wage of ₦90,000

The Ebonyi State Government has approved a new minimum wage of ₦90,000 for its civil servants, the officials say it is aimed at improving the welfare of workers across the state.

The decision, announced after the State Executive Council meeting on Thursday, represents a ₦20,000 increase from the previous ₦70,000 wage. According to the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Ikeuwa Omebe, the increment takes effect immediately and applies to all categories of workers in the state.

Omebe stressed that the adjustment was not driven by politics but by the government’s commitment to workers’ welfare. “This administration has consistently demonstrated that it does not play politics with the wellbeing of its workforce,” he said.

Beyond the wage increase, the state government also disclosed that it had cleared outstanding pensions and gratuities owed to retirees since the creation of Ebonyi in 1996. A verification exercise for local government retirees is currently underway, after which their payments will follow.

“If this government could address such heavy financial obligations without politicising it, then adding ₦20,000 to workers’ pay should not be seen as political either,” Omebe added.

The council also deliberated on reforms within the civil service, including the enforcement of the eight-year tenure policy for directors. Under the policy, permanent secretaries and directors who have served eight years at the same level will proceed on retirement.

Omebe described the governor as a leader focused on both human and infrastructural development, guided by what he referred to as the “people’s charter of needs”, a philosophy of governance that prioritises the real needs of the people.

With this wage increase and the settlement of long-standing pension arrears, Ebonyi joins the list of Nigerian states making bold moves to cushion the economic pressures faced by public workers and retirees.