Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has officially approved a Christmas bonus of ₦150,000 for each civil servant in the state for the 2025 festive season.

The announcement was made during a church service at the Government House Chapel in Abakaliki and was conveyed in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Monday Uzor.
“Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has announced a hundred and fifty thousand naira Christmas bonus to every civil servant in the state,” the statement read.

Governor Nwifuru stated that the bonus illustrates his administration’s commitment to enhancing the welfare of civil servants, particularly in light of declining state revenue over the past year.

“You cannot find any state in Nigeria that is doing such a flyover currently,” Nwifuru said.

In his address to the congregation, the governor also addressed concerns regarding delays in the construction of the Vincent Agwu Nwankwo Flyover, a significant infrastructural project within the state.

“We are doing it not because we have money. We are doing it because we want to sign our signature in the annals of history,” he said, adding that Ebonyi aims to be recognised globally for good governance and modern infrastructure.

In August, the governor increased the state’s minimum wage by ₦20,000, raising the new pay for civil servants to ₦90,000. The increase, according to the state government, took effect immediately and is part of Nwifuru’s ‘People’s Charter of Needs Agenda.’

He noted that while the construction process is complex, it is expected to transform the state’s landscape and improve its aesthetic appeal upon completion. The governor expressed discontent with the misconceptions circulated by social media commentators about the status of the project.

At the federal level, President Bola Tinubu enacted the national minimum wage bill in July 2024 following the passage of the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 by the National Assembly.
This legislation increased the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, thereby concluding several months of negotiations involving labour unions, the private sector, and government representatives.