The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has cautioned that implementing the proposed N60,000 monthly minimum wage would financially cripple many states, hindering their ability to fund essential development projects and services.

In a statement released on Friday by the NGF’s Acting Director of Media and Public Affairs, Hajiya Halimah Salihu Ahmed, the governors expressed sympathy for labor unions advocating for higher wages but stressed that the N60,000 figure is unsustainable for most states.

Ahmed highlighted that the wage negotiations must consider consequential adjustments across all employee levels, including pensioners, and any agreement reached should be both sustainable and realistic.

The NGF pointed out that paying a N60,000 minimum wage would deplete the federal allocation for many states, leaving no funds for infrastructure, healthcare, education, and other critical priorities.

“Some states would even need to borrow monthly to pay workers,” Ahmed added. The governors urged labor leaders to take into account the socioeconomic factors at play and reach an agreement that is fair and affordable for all parties, including those dependent on public resources.