The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has urged the State Ministry of Labour and Productivity to issue statutory compliance notices to multinational companies operating in the state that are yet to implement the approved minimum wage.
The lawmakers also called on relevant enforcement agencies to uphold the provisions of the Minimum Wage Act and sanction organisations that fail to comply.
The resolution followed the consideration and adoption of a report by the House Committee on Labour and Productivity, on a motion urging the state government to compel multinational companies to implement the approved N70,000 national minimum wage.
Few companies complying
Presenting the report during plenary on 5 March, the committee Chairperson, Sunday Johnny, said investigations revealed that only a few companies operating in the state had fully complied with the new wage regime.
According to the report, both the N70,000 national minimum wage approved by President Bola Tinubu for workers are yet to be implemented in Akwa Ibom by most of the companies investigated.
The committee said many organisations cited financial constraints and the absence of official directives for their failure to comply.
It noted that the widespread non-compliance reflected weak enforcement mechanisms and poor adherence to statutory labour regulations.
Assembly demands enforcement
To address the situation, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly directed regulatory and labour inspection bodies to conduct routine and unannounced compliance audits across public and private sector establishments in the state.
The House also urged the state government, through relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, to issue clear implementation circulars and strengthen inter-agency collaboration to ensure uniform enforcement of the minimum wage law.
The report was presented through a motion moved by the House Leader, Otobong Bob, and seconded by the Deputy Leader, Nsidibe Akata.
The earlier motion had been presented during plenary on 30 September 2025 and subsequently referred to the Committee on Labour and Productivity for further legislative action.
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Background
In October 2024, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State approved N80,000 as the new minimum wage for state workers, exceeding the federal government’s N70,000 benchmark.
The state government later began implementation of the new wage in January 2025 for verified civil servants, with payments backdated to November 2024.
However, more than a year after the federal government commenced implementation of the national minimum wage, the assembly said many multinational companies operating in Akwa Ibom are yet to comply.