Dikko Radda: Each state government should be allowed to set its minimum wage

Dikko Radda, governor of Katsina, says each state government in the country should be allowed to set its own minimum wage.

Speaking on Sunday when he appeared on a programme on Television Continental (TVC), the governor said only Nigeria has one single minimum wage for workers across all states.

The minimum wage is currently on the exclusive-legislative list, which gives power to only the federal government to determine it.

The organised labour has been demanding higher wages following the removal of subsidy on premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.

While the federal government has offered N62,000 as the minimum wage, labour is proposing N250,000.

“It is only in Nigeria that we have one single minimum wage for laborers across all states. In other countries, different states have different minimum wages based on sustainability and affordability,” Radda said.

“What is the need for the state government to agree to pay N100,000 if they can’t implement it?”

The governor said there is a need for the country to embrace ranching because it is more profitable.

“There is a need for us to encourage ranching. I am not supporting or opposing, but I’m saying there is a need for us to embrace ranching because it is more profitable,” he said.

“We cannot take the herders off the streets in a very short time. We need to give people time to be enlightened.

“There will be a lot of sensitisation and encouragement for people to go into ranching because it is more profitable and more secure.”

Radda said 90 per cent of the arable land in Katsina is being cultivated despite the challenges with security.