KEY POINTS
- Imo minimum wage raised to N104,000 for civil servants.
- Doctors’ pay jumps to N503,000 under new wage structure.
- Revenue growth and reforms enabled the wage increase.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has announced a sweeping wage increase for civil servants and public sector workers, making the state one of Nigeria’s highest-paying employers.
Speaking at a meeting with labour union leaders in Owerri, Uzodimma said the new minimum wage for civil servants would rise from N76,000 to N104,000, while doctors would see their baseline pay more than double, from N215,000 to N503,000. Lecturers in tertiary institutions will now earn N222,000, up from N119,000.
“There is no way any government will do well if it doesn’t have a cordial relationship with organised labour,” Uzodimma said. “When workers are paid well, productivity rises, families are happier, and the local economy grows. This is our way of investing in Imo people.”
The wage hike follows years of economic strain marked by insecurity, the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsidy removal.
Wage increase tied to revenue growth and reforms
The governor linked the pay rise to stronger state finances. He said Imo’s internally generated revenue has surged from N400 million to more than N3 billion monthly, while the state’s debt profile has dropped from N280 billion in 2020 to under N100 billion.
According to Business Day, Uzodimma credited fuel subsidy removal under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a turning point that expanded allocations to sub-national governments.
“What government is confronted with now is how to ensure the dividends of that policy trickle down to the common man,” he said. “Given that our revenue base has improved, every responsible government must be transparent with the gains.”
The governor also pledged to clear the last batch of outstanding gratuities owed to pensioners—totalling N16 billion—beginning August 27.
Labour welcomes new minimum wage in Imo
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Imo chairman, Uchechigemezu Nwigwe, described the new minimum wage as a victory for workers, praising Uzodimma for prioritising welfare.
“Today, no worker in Imo will say you have not been fair to us,” Nwigwe said. He added that the increase had placed Imo among the top-ranking states in wage structure and promised workers would respond with greater efficiency and diligence.
