Governor Hope Uzodimma has ordered a new minimum wage of ₦104,000 for civil servants in Imo State, far above the national minimum wage of ₦70,000.
He made the announcement during a meeting with labour leaders at the Government House in Owerri.
The wage increase moves salaries from the current ₦76,000 in Imo State to ₦104,000, placing the state among the highest-paying states in Nigeria.
“When workers are paid well, productivity rises, families are happier, and the local economy grows. This is our way of investing in Imo people,” Uzodimma said.
Doctors, Lecturers Also Get Pay Boost
The governor also announced salary increases for other categories of workers.
Medical doctors will now earn ₦503,000 monthly, up from ₦215,000.
Lecturers in state-owned tertiary institutions will receive ₦222,000, up from ₦119,000.
He said the decision was made to ease the economic hardship confronting workers and retirees.
Uzodimma also approved ₦16 billion for the immediate clearance of outstanding gratuities owed to pensioners.
The payment begins immediately, August 27, 2025.
“We tried as a government to always put it behind our mind that there is no way any government will do well if it doesn’t have a friendly and cordial relationship with the organised labour,” he said.
Labour Leaders Celebrate, Call It Historic
Labour leaders at the meeting sang solidarity songs and praised the governor’s decision.
Present were NLC Chairman Uchechigemezu Nwigwe, TUC Chairman Uchenna Ibe, NUP Chairman Josiah Ugochukwu, and NMA Chairman Barth Echeta.
“Today, no worker in Imo will say you (Uzodimma) have not been fair to us,” Nwigwe said. “You rescued us from economic challenges and placed Imo among the highest-paying states in Nigeria.”
Uzodimma also revealed that Imo’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has grown from ₦400 million to over ₦3 billion monthly.
Federal allocations have increased from ₦7 billion to ₦14 billion, while the state’s debt profile dropped from ₦280 billion to less than ₦100 billion.
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