Overstaffing Hampers N70,000 Minimum Wage Implementation for Borno LG Workers

The Borno State Government has identified an “over-bloated workforce” at the local government level as a major impediment to the immediate implementation of the new N70,000 minimum wage for its local government employees. This disclosure was made during a high-level meeting chaired by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum at the Government House, Maiduguri, on Saturday.

Modu Alhaji Mustapha, the Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, revealed that Borno’s 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) collectively employ an astounding 90,000 staff. This figure stands in stark contrast to Kano State, which, despite having a population three times larger than Borno’s, manages its 44 LGAs with a leaner workforce of approximately 30,000.

Mustapha elaborated on the financial strain, citing the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council as an example. “While the proposed minimum wage is commendable, the current size of the local government workforce makes implementation difficult,” he explained. “Maiduguri Metropolitan Council sometimes receives monthly federal allocations below N700 million, yet it would require N778 million just to pay salaries under the new wage. This leaves nothing for other critical services like public health, water supply, and security.”

Despite this challenge, Governor Zulum has issued a firm directive to all 27 LGA chairmen to “immediately implement” the N70,000 minimum wage for their workers. Crucially, the Governor explicitly warned against any form of staff retrenchment as a solution. “We are not in support of staff retrenchment at the local government level,” Zulum asserted. “I direct you to institute a mechanism that will lead to the implementation of the minimum wage.”

The Governor urged the LGA chairpersons to return to their localities, engage with relevant stakeholders, and collaboratively develop “workable solutions” to the salary problem, appealing to local government workers for patience as the state works closely with all LGAs to achieve full implementation.

It is important to note that the N70,000 (or N72,000 as sometimes quoted by officials) minimum wage has already been fully implemented for state civil servants and primary school teachers in Borno. This was acknowledged by Comrade Yusuf Inuwa, the Borno State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), who commended Governor Zulum for this progressive step, noting that Borno’s commitment to primary school teachers’ welfare has earned it national recognition from the union.

The state government’s challenge now lies in navigating the complexities of its extensive local government workforce without resorting to layoffs, striving to balance fiscal responsibility with the welfare of its employees.