Overstaffing Delays N70,000 Minimum Wage for Local Government Workers in Borno

Borno State is struggling to roll out the newly approved ₦70,000 minimum wage for local government employees due to a heavily inflated workforce. According to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Modu Alhaji Mustapha, the state's 27 LGAs employ roughly 90,000 staff, a figure vastly disproportionate to that of Kano State—three times larger in population yet employing just 30,000 workers across 44 LGAs.

Governor Babagana Zulum warned that local government revenues cannot sustain the promised wage package. For instance, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council often receives below ₦700 million per month from the federal government—far short of the ₦778 million needed just to fund minimum-wage salaries. The shortfall leaves little for essential services like health, security, and water supply.

Despite state civil servants and primary school teachers already receiving the new wage, the LGAs remain behind. Governor Zulum has directed local government chairpersons to consult with relevant stakeholders and devise a sustainable plan for implementation, while also ruling out mass retrenchment as a solution.