The Kaduna State Executive Council during a meeting on Monday approved that payment of the new minimum wage and consequential adjustments to civil servants begin from September 1, 2019.
Kaduna State will start payment of the new national minimum wage from September 2019.
The Kaduna State Executive Council during a meeting on Monday, approved that payment of the new minimum wage and consequential adjustments to civil servants begin from September 1, 2019.
Deputy Governor of Kaduna, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, who chaired the meeting, noted that the commitment of Governor Nasir El-Rufai to strengthen the public service and its capacity to deliver quality and responsive public service, inspired the move.
A statement by Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, announced the development.
Adekeye said, “The Executive Council stated its desire to improve the standard of living of workers in the state.
“Pursuant to that, the Kaduna State Government launched a pay review process early in 2018. A cabinet committee was charged with exploring how the Kaduna State Government can sustainably improve public sector salaries.
“Guided by the twin principles of ability to pay and sustainability, the government considered several scenarios, bearing in mind the trend of internally generated revenues and allocations from the federation account.
“Several salary scenarios were considered, and one option was identified as most prudent.
“A final decision was suspended as negotiations for a new national minimum wage appeared to gather momentum. It was reactivated after the Federal Government announced the new national minimum wage in April 2019.
“Paying the new national minimum wage and consequential adjustments will increase the wage bill of the Kaduna State Government by 33 per cent. Gross monthly salary outlay will rise to N3.759bn from the current N2.827bn.
“This almost N1bn monthly increase in the wage bill means that salary and pension commitments will take the lion’s share of state government expenditure.”
