Former Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State believes that each state should decide what they can afford to pay as a minimum wage. He expressed this view during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.
For months, the Federal Government and labor unions have been negotiating a new minimum wage. While labor unions demand N250,000, the federal government offers N62,000.
Fayemi, a former minister, suggests that instead of a uniform national minimum wage, each state should negotiate with their own labor unions based on their specific circumstances. He explained, “Every governor has to handle the national minimum wage issue. When I was governor and chairman of the governor’s forum, I believed, and still believe, that wage negotiations should be decentralized. This means states should negotiate their own terms with labor unions while the Federal Government handles its own negotiations, as financial situations vary.”
He added that each state should work transparently with their labor unions, sharing all relevant financial records, and explain, “This is what we have. Keep in mind, you represent only 5 or 10% of our population, and we also need to serve the remaining 90%.”
Fayemi emphasized that decentralizing wage negotiations doesn’t mean state workers will necessarily earn less than federal workers, but it allows for a more tailored approach to each state’s financial reality.
