By Abdulkareem Haruna

Maiduguri, Borno — For the first time in their history, primary school teachers in Borno State are now receiving the national minimum wage, a landmark achievement that has drawn praise from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

This development comes as Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, pushes local government chairmen to extend the ₦70,000 minimum wage to all council staff.
The full implementation of the ₦72,000 minimum wage for primary school teachers and state civil servants was confirmed by Governor Zulum during a high-level meeting on Saturday night. The meeting, which included leadership from the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), saw Zulum tasking the 27 Local Government Area (LGA) chairmen with finding solutions to implement the new wage across their councils.
LGAs Grapple with “Over-Bloated” Staff Rolls
Despite the success with teachers, the path to full implementation for all local government staff is fraught with challenges. Modu Alhaji Mustapha, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, highlighted a major hurdle: an “over-bloated” staff roll within the LGAs.
Mustapha revealed that Borno’s 27 LGAs collectively employ approximately 90,000 staff. This figure is exceptionally high, especially when compared to Kano State, which has three times Borno’s population but manages a leaner staff of about 30,000 across its 44 LGAs.

“While the intention behind the minimum wage increase is laudable, the reality on ground in Borno is far more complex,” Mustapha explained. He cited Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) as an example, noting that its monthly federal allocation sometimes falls below ₦700 million, while it would require ₦778 million just to cover the new minimum wage. This leaves no funds for essential services like public health, water supply, and security.
Governor Zulum Warns Against Retrenchment
Even with the financial strain, Governor Zulum has warned against staff retrenchment at the local government level. He directed chairpersons to “institute a mechanism that will lead to the implementation of the minimum wage”  without resorting to layoffs.
“We are not in support of staff retrenchment at the local government level,” Zulum emphasized, appealing to local government workers for patience as the administration works with councils to ensure implementation.
NLC Applauds Teachers’ Wage
The NLC has publicly commended Governor Zulum for prioritizing primary school teachers. Comrade Yusuf Inuwa, Chairman of the NLC Borno State Chapter, expressed the national body’s satisfaction during the Saturday meeting.
“Your Excellency, whenever we attend the national executive meetings, the national body is very much happy because primary school teachers are being paid ₦72,000 as minimum wage,” Inuwa stated. He added that his announcement of the Borno teachers’ wage at a national meeting was met with applause and high commendation for the governor.
The focus now shifts to how local government chairmen will navigate their financial constraints to extend this historic wage implementation to all their employees, ensuring no staff are left behind.