Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced an increase in the minimum wage for civil servants in Lagos State to ₦85,000.
The governor made this announcement during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, explaining that the decision was made after discussions with labor unions.
“I’m glad to let you know that the minimum wage for Lagos, which we have discussed with our union, is N85,000 today,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
The governor emphasized that the new wage reflects Lagos State’s financial capacity and is not aimed at outcompeting other states.
Sanwo-Olu highlighted the high cost of living in Lagos and the state’s responsibility to ensure that civil servants earn a wage that reflects the economic realities of living in the city.
“It is not a competition. So I am not going to say we are paying more than some other people. It is a function of affordability and it is a function of capacity,” he said.
“But we know too well that when people live in Lagos, Lagos has a premium in terms of even the cost of living.”
The governor also hinted at the possibility of further wage increases, stating that he hopes to return in January with an announcement of a new minimum wage of ₦100,000 for Lagos State civil servants.
“I would like to come back to you in January to say I have been able to increase the minimum wage of Lagos to ₦100,000. Not because I want to make anybody look bad. It is really because I want my people to have a living wage,” Sanwo-Olu added.
