At least 20 Nigerian states are still failing to pay the ₦70,000 minimum wage nearly two years after President Bola Tinubu signed it into law in July 2024.

The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned that defaulting states will face mass protests on May Day 2026. Many workers, especially at local government and education levels, continue to receive the old ₦30,000 or only slightly higher amounts.

The states yet to fully implement the new wage include Plateau, Kebbi, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Bayelsa, Osun, Ekiti, Zamfara, Benue, Enugu, Taraba, Gombe, Niger, Bauchi, Katsina, Kaduna, Cross River, Yobe, Oyo and Imo.

Some of these states have announced the ₦70,000 but pay it only partially, while others have not approved it at all. In Kaduna, Gombe and Borno, local government workers do not receive the full amount.

A few states have gone beyond the benchmark. Lagos pays about ₦85,000 with plans to increase it further, Ogun around ₦77,000, and Kogi about ₦72,500.

The Nigeria Labour Congress president, Joe Ajaero, was present when the law was signed. The union says weak enforcement and financial constraints cited by governors are no excuse for the delay.

Workers in different states now earn different salaries for the same job, creating inequality across the country. The NLC is preparing for nationwide confrontation over the issue.