NUT Reveals Nine States Yet to Implement N70,000 Minimum Wage for Teachers, Including Abia and FCT
Nearly a year after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the N70,000 national minimum wage into law on July 29, 2024, nine Nigerian states are still lagging in its implementation—leaving thousands of teachers stuck on outdated wage structures.
This revelation comes from fresh data obtained by The National Union of Teachers (NUT), highlighting what the union describes as “a dangerous imbalance in the education sector.” The NUT has now called for urgent action.
Among the states named in the report are Abia, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Yobe, and Zamfara.
In Abia State, teachers have yet to benefit from the wage increase. Meanwhile, Adamawa has only moved from the outdated N18,000 wage to the N30,000 previously approved by late President Muhammadu Buhari, but teachers are still awaiting the newly mandated N70,000 rate.
In Ebonyi, implementation remains stalled. Enugu State was noted for offering an enhanced wage award—an N50,000 salary top-up for workers, including teachers—but has not formally adopted the N70,000 minimum wage.
In Gombe, primary school teachers remain excluded from the new wage, while Kaduna State cited a pending teachers’ verification exercise as the reason for non-payment. Nasarawa, Yobe, and Zamfara have also not implemented the new wage for educators.
Meanwhile, teachers in the FCT, who recently ended a 100-day strike, reached a deal with local councils to redirect part of their internally generated revenue toward meeting wage demands.
NUT President Titus Amba condemned the uneven implementation, stating, “Let the minimum wage reach all workers so everyone will feel a part of it. It is unfair for those not getting the higher wage, and it will affect the balance of education delivery.”
The situation reflects long-standing discrepancies in wage policies across states, often affecting primary and secondary school teachers, especially those under local government administration.
Back in October 2024, The PUNCH had reported that 12 states were still paying teachers the old N18,000 wage. While some have made progress, the new data confirms that systemic wage inequality continues to plague Nigeria’s education sector.
