Cross River Govt.: N70,000 Minimum Wage Implemented Since December 2024

The Cross River State Government has dismissed assertions that it has not implemented the N70,000 minimum wage, labeling a recent media report as “false, unfounded, and a serious misrepresentation of facts.”

In a statement released on Monday, April 7th, 2025, Mr. Nsa Gill, the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, expressed his disappointment that such misleading information appeared in a respected national newspaper without proper fact-checking.

“We have been made aware of an inaccurate report in media outlets, incorrectly including Cross River as a state that hasn’t adopted the new N70,000 minimum wage for workers,” Gill stated. “This claim is completely untrue.”

He emphasized that Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s administration was among the first in Nigeria to fully implement the new wage structure, commencing as early as December 2024. This implementation, he clarified, applied comprehensively to both state and local government employees, ensuring that workers are already benefiting from the adjusted salaries.

Gill further stressed the sensitivity of such claims and urged media outlets to also publish the Cross River State government’s verified position on the matter. He pointed out that the state’s claims could be easily verified by key stakeholders such as the State Chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

“Governor Bassey Otu’s administration is fully dedicated to the welfare and empowerment of workers in Cross River State,” Gill affirmed. “Salaries are consistently paid on time and without interruption.”

He urged the public to disregard the inaccurate report and reassured both Cross River residents and Nigerians that the state government remains focused on the well-being of its workforce and the broader community.