Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has disclosed that the minimum wage agreed upon with the labour union for civil servants in Lagos state is N85,000.

Disclosing this in an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, the governor also stated that the state government is hoping to increase it to N100,000 by January 2025.

The governor said, “I’m glad to let you know that the minimum wage for Lagos, which we’ve conversed and discussed with our union, is N85,000 today.

“It’s not a competition. I’m not going to say that we’re paying more than some other people. It’s a function of affordability and capacity.”

Mr Sanwo-Olu, who in April announced that the minimum wage in the state had increased from N35,000 to N70,000, stated that the latest increment to N85,000 is necessary due to the current high cost of living in the state.

“We know too well that when people live in Lagos, Lagos has a premium, in terms of the cost of living. So, we’re fully aware. We actually increased our salary earlier in the year, deservedly so, for our staff, and we’ll continue to do that.

“I would want to come back in January and say that I have been able to increase the minimum wage of Lagos to N100,000, not because I want to make anybody look bad; it’s really because I want my people to have a living wage.”

The governor said the decision to increase the minimum wage is to let state workers know that their government is truly working for them.

He vowed that the state government would cut down on unnecessary expenses to be able to provide workers with a salary that is adequate enough for them to take home.