Teachers in Kaduna State have warned they may shut down schools across the state if the government fails to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage by August 2025.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kaduna issued the ultimatum as frustration grows over the government’s delay in enforcing the new wage, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2024.
While several states, including Zamfara, Lagos, and Oyo, have begun payment, Kaduna has yet to do so.
Speaking in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, NUT State Chairman Ibrahim Dalhatu accused the state government of neglecting the welfare of teachers and other workers, particularly those paid through local government allocations.
“If they fail to implement the new wage, we have no option but to embark on an indefinite strike. That’s the only language the government seems to understand,” Dalhatu warned.
He expressed concern that teachers, along with many local government workers, continue to be excluded from the new wage structure despite repeated promises from the government.
Dalhatu also highlighted issues surrounding the ongoing staff verification exercise.
He said about 80 to 90 percent of the process had already been completed digitally. Workers who missed the exercise would be given a second chance to participate, after which they would become eligible for the new minimum wage.
“Our agreement with the government is clear: by August, we expect full payment of the N70,000 minimum wage,” he insisted.
The union leader further accused the state government of lacking commitment to workers’ welfare, saying the only way to compel action was through organized industrial resistance.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Kaduna State Government were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, in Gombe State, the NUT Chairman, Ali Dalhatu, said the union was awaiting directives from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) before taking any action.
He confirmed that the union was aligned with organised labour’s strategy and would act in line with resolutions from the national body.
“We’re taking it step by step in accordance with labour’s guidelines. Whatever the NLC decides, we’ll follow,” he said.
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In contrast, Zamfara State confirmed full implementation of the new wage.
The governor’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Mustafa Jafaru, told Sunday PUNCH that every civil servant in the state — including primary school teachers, adult education workers, and staff under Emirate councils — has begun receiving the new wage.
Jafaru said Governor Dauda Lawal had ensured the new wage applied at both state and local government levels, describing it as part of his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
