In a bold move to cushion the economic hardship facing workers in the state, the Imo State Government has raised the minimum wage from ₦70,000 to ₦104,000.
Governor Hope Uzodimma made the announcement during a crucial meeting with labour leaders at the Government House in Owerri, the state capital.
This is even as the governor approved ₦16 billion for the immediate clearance of all outstanding gratuities owed to pensioners in the state.
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For civil servants already earning consolidated salaries of ₦104,000 or more, the government has approved an additional 10 percent salary increment to ensure equity and widespread impact of the wage review.
This initiative also introduces substantial increases for other key sectors, including healthcare and education.
On healthcare sector, the new salary structure raises entry-level salaries for doctors to ₦582,000.
This adjustment, the Governor said, not only acknowledges the critical role that healthcare professionals play in society but also serves as an incentive to attract and retain qualified personnel in the state.
He said the new salary structure also addresses the educational sector, with entry-level salaries for lecturers set at ₦222,000.
Beyond the salary increase, the Governor assured Imo workers of the sustained implementation of the 13th-month salary and promised that all promotions granted in recent years would now be financially implemented.
“This is more than a wage increment,” Uzodimma said. “It is a commitment to restoring dignity to labour and ensuring that our public servants can live decent, productive lives.”
In an unprecedented gesture, the Governor also rolled out N16 billion in gratuities to pensioners. These include free healthcare insurance coverage aimed at easing the financial burdens of aged retirees.
Further, the State has begun the long-overdue payment of gratuities dating back to 2006. According to the administration, over 5,700 retirees — including 2,962 from the local government sector and 2,742 from the state level — will
According to the Governor many have already been paid, with the remaining set to receive payments in one or two more installments.
The government’s salary reforms also extend to workers at the Imo State Transport Company (ITC).
In June 2025, ITC staff salaries were revised upwards, with monthly pay moving from a modest ₦9,000–₦41,000 to ₦51,000–₦60,000, depending on grade level and responsibilities. This is seen as a major turnaround for the previously neglected sector.
This latest development builds on earlier actions by the Uzodimma-led administration.
In July 2023, following the removal of fuel subsidies and the attendant economic hardship, the Governor approved a temporary increase in the state’s minimum wage to ₦40,000. The package at the time included free transportation, medical care, and additional social interventions.
At the state Secretariat along Owerri-Port Harcourt Road, jubilation galore erupted as workers celebrated the governor’s approval of the new minimum wage.
The gesture attracted commendation from the labour leaders who sang solidarity songs.
They described it as a historic step towards improving the lives of workers and retirees in the state.
Present at the meeting were the state NLC Chairman, Uche Chigemezu, the state Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Uchenna Ibe, the state Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Josiah Ugochukwu, and the state Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Barth Echeta.
In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law, ending months of deliberations between government authorities, labour unions, and the private sector.
He signed it at the State House in Abuja days after the National Assembly passed the Minimum Wage Act, 2019, to increase the National Minimum Wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.
