Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has approved the full implementation of the new national minimum wage for workers across the state’s local government system, completing a payment structure that had been progressively rolled out and clearing the remaining 43 percent balance to bring the state to 100 percent compliance with the nationally mandated wage floor.
The Head of Civil Service, Professor Muazu Shehu, who conveyed the governor’s approval, said the directive covered staff of all 11 local government councils, the Local Education Authority, and primary healthcare workers, with implementation set to take effect from May 2026.
The state government attributed the completion of the rollout to improved fiscal conditions at the council level, which had strengthened local governments’ capacity to meet salary obligations consistently and without disruption. The full implementation was expected to boost worker morale, enhance productivity, and strengthen service delivery across grassroots governance institutions.
Gombe had been among the first states in Nigeria to implement the new national minimum wage following its passage into law in 2024, a distinction that reflected Governor Yahaya’s consistent position that improving the welfare of civil servants was central to his administration’s development agenda. The governor had repeatedly described workers as critical drivers of governance and service delivery, a conviction that labour organisations including the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress had consistently commended his administration for translating into practice amid the economic pressures confronting many subnational governments.
