The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kwara State, Comrade Murtala Olayinka, has assured workers that efforts are underway to ensure the implementation of the new minimum wage across the state. Speaking at the 2024 World Teachers' Day celebration in Ilorin, Comrade Murtala revealed that the committee set up by the state government is working tirelessly to finalize the policy and make it a reality for all workers.

He emphasized that the NLC, in collaboration with other key stakeholders, is fully committed to seeing the policy implemented to improve the welfare of the state's workforce.

“I urge teachers in the state to exercise patience, at the end of the day, we will come out with something tangible that will make everybody smile,” he added.

In his speech, state chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Yusuf Agboola, commended the state government for prompt payment of teachers' salaries, cash-backing of Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) teachers' promotions of 2021 and 2022 and the recent approval of 2023 and 2024 promotion.

Yusuf, however, listed some challenges still faced by teachers such as “incorrect implementation of 27.5 percent Teachers Specific Allowance (TSA) for TRN certificated and 21 percent of non TRN certificated teachers.

“This problem is peculiar to only Kwara State in the entire federation,” he asserted.

According to Yusuf, other challenges include non-implementation of November 2023 palliatives for teachers under TESCOM, non implementation of annual increment steps for SUBEB teachers for many years, non-recruitment of more teachers for senior secondary schools despite massive retirements that occurred between 2022 and 2024, non-payment of allowance for teachers in rural areas, adding that the government was yet to key into the 65/40 years harmonized retirement age for teachers in Nigeria.

Chairman of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Professor Shehu Adaramaja, also assured that teachers would be taken care of in the new minimum wage.