Nigeria: 2027 - We Would Jack Up Minimum Wage to N120k for Kwara Workers - NDC Candidate

What the report says

Prof. Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia, the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Kwara State, has pledged to raise the state’s monthly minimum wage for civil servants from N70,000 to N120,000 if elected in 2027. The comments were reported by Daily Trust and distributed by AllAfrica, and Ajia made them during a News Keg engagement at the Nigeria Union of Journalists’ Correspondents’ Chapel in Ilorin.

Ajia said the higher wage bill would require about N4 billion more each month, but argued that the state could afford it through better management of public resources and reduced financial leakages. He linked the promise to a wider workers’ agenda covering promotions, working conditions and retirement benefits. He also said any implementation would be supported by payroll checks, salary-grade costing, consultations with labour unions and a funding timetable.

Beyond salaries, the candidate criticized delays in paying gratuities to pensioners, including arrears he said date back to 2014. He said he would verify outstanding obligations, separate inherited debts from new ones and publish payment schedules, with a focus on clearing gratuities within his first four years in office. He also proposed recreational centres for older residents in all 16 local government areas and promised to improve transparency by publishing revenue, spending and contract details online.

The report places the pledge in the context of Kwara’s current wage and personnel costs, which were cited from the 2026 approved budget. In broader terms, the proposal reflects continuing debate in Nigeria over public-sector pay, state finances and accountability in government.