Civil servants in Imo and Ebonyi States will begin to enjoy new wage structures following fresh approvals by their respective governments.
In Imo, Governor Hope Uzodimma on Tuesday night announced an upward review of the minimum wage from N76,000 to N104,000 during a meeting with labour union leaders at the Government House, Owerri.
He said the adjustment also covers other categories of workers, including doctors whose minimum wage has been raised from N215,000 to N503,000, and lecturers in tertiary institutions whose salaries increased from N119,000 to N222,000.
Uzodimma explained that the decision was part of his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare despite economic challenges.
“When workers are paid well, productivity rises, families are happier, and the local economy grows. This is our way of investing in Imo people,” he said.
He added that the state’s internally generated revenue had grown from N400 million to over N3 billion monthly, a development he credited to reforms that also cut down the state’s debt profile.
Labour leaders in the state welcomed the announcement, describing it as a “victory for the workforce.”
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Imo, Uchechigemezu Nwigwe, said the gesture had placed the state among the highest in minimum wage payment nationwide.
In Ebonyi, the State Executive Council on Thursday approved an increase in the minimum wage for civil servants from N70,000 to N90,000.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Ikeuwa Omebe, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said the increment took immediate effect and was a demonstration of Governor Francis Nwifuru’s resolve to prioritise workers’ welfare.
Omebe also revealed that the state government had cleared pension and gratuity arrears owed retirees since Ebonyi’s creation in 1996, with verification ongoing for local government retirees to enable payments.
He stressed that the wage increment was not political but a genuine effort to improve the living conditions of workers.
