Sanwo-Olu did not increase minimum wage to N70,000 – Commissioner

The Lagos State Government has refuted claims that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced an increment in the minimum wage to N70,000.

Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Omotoso said the confusion arose following an event at the Governor’s Office on Wednesday, where Sanwo-Olu unveiled “Eko Cares,” a program aimed at supporting residents facing economic hardship.

He added that Sanwo-Olu did not announce such an increase.

Lagos State civil servants, according to Omotoso, have been receiving the current national minimum wage of N35,000 since January 2024.

“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been erroneously quoted as saying that a new minimum wage of N70,000 had been announced,” Omotoso said.

“This is wrong. Mr. Governor never said so. He said since January, civil servants had been earning the N35,000 wage award directed by the Federal Government. In other words, those earning N35,000 now earn N70,000. He did not announce a new minimum wage of N70,000.”

He said the accurate statement made by Sanwo-Olu during the event was that “I know that by the grace of God very very soon we’ll see a new minimum wage that will be approved for the Federal Government and for the state government.

“The civil servants and all public officers, they know that since January we have continued to pay the wage allowance of minimum of N35,000 over and above what they were earning before.

“People that were earning a minimum of N35,000 to N40,000 before, they are now earning over N70,000. So, it’s important for people to know and for us to lay this thing very clearly. This government has doubled up and has not left its citizens on their ownn.”