Fresh doubts have emerged over the Kaduna State Government’s claims of implementing the new N72,000 minimum wage, as teachers across the state continue to report receiving salaries far below the promised figure.
The Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ), in its ongoing governance assessment, revealed evidence showing that educators are still trapped in the old wage structure despite repeated assurances from state officials.
In Lere Local Government, for instance, a Kaduna SUBEB teacher on level 7 presented his August 2025 payslip, which reflected only N37,436 as salary — credited on September 3. Similarly, in Zaria, another teacher confirmed his August pay was just N42,000. Reports gathered across multiple local government areas consistently indicated that many teachers were still being paid under the N30,000 wage regime.
This reality directly contradicts statements by Kaduna NLC Chairman, Ayuba Suleiman, who had earlier announced that Governor Uba Sani had approved and commenced the implementation of the new wage for workers on levels 1–7. The State Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, had also reiterated this position when NGIJ investigators visited his office.
The controversy is not limited to primary and secondary school teachers. At Nuhu Bamili Polytechnic in Zaria, lecturers similarly disclosed that their earnings remain below the government’s stated benchmark. One lecturer, who spoke under anonymity, revealed his August salary stood at N64,800 — significantly below the declared minimum.
“There is no reflection of N72,000 in our salaries. What the government is saying is entirely different from what we are seeing in our accounts,” the lecturer lamented.
The findings highlight a troubling gap in communication, transparency, and accountability in the state’s wage administration. NGIJ President, Malam Abdulrahman Aliagan, explained that the Guild is still engaging stakeholders and collating evidence to provide a comprehensive picture of the situation.
He added that NGIJ’s full governance assessment report on Kaduna State will be unveiled in November at a press briefing in Abuja, shedding light on whether the wage policy is fact or fiction.
