2027: We Would Jack Up Minimum Wage To N120k For Kwara Workers – NDC Candidate

Kwara State's NDC gubernatorial candidate, Prof. Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia, unveiled plans to raise the minimum wage for civil servants from N70,000 to N120,000 if elected in 2027. The proposed salary boost would necessitate an extra N4bn monthly outlay, according to the US-based academic. Ajia argued that Kwara could manage the commitment by addressing financial leakages and improving resource management.

He blamed government officials' self-centeredness for the state's failure to boost workers' welfare. The candidate's Workers and Working Families Compact would also tackle promotions, working conditions, and retirement benefits. Implementation would involve payroll verification, salary grade costing, consultations with labor unions, and a transparent funding plan.

The current 2026 budget allocates N4.55bn for direct salaries and wages, while total personnel costs are N6.01bn. Ajia criticized the prolonged payment of gratuities, particularly outstanding entitlements from 2014, as unacceptable and promised to verify outstanding obligations, differentiate inherited arrears from new liabilities, publish funded payment schedules, and prioritize gratuity clearance within his four-year term.

Additionally, he vowed to create recreational centers for senior citizens in each of the state's 16 local government areas and restore the importance of elected councillors by providing functional offices in all 193 wards. To enhance transparency, Ajia pledged to publish government revenue, expenditure, and contract details, comply with the Freedom of Information Act, and create a transparent government website and public information dashboard.

His development agenda also aimed to address infrastructural imbalances between Kwara's northern and southern senatorial districts.