Pay N150,000 Minimum Wage Now, JACON Tells Northern State Governments

By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna

The Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations (JACON) has accused governors of the 19 northern states of failing to convert increased federal allocations into improved welfare for workers, warning that the neglect is deepening poverty and undermining development in the region.

In a press statement signed by National Director of Public and Strategic Communication Muhammed Isa and Secretary General Raphael Terkolar, JACON said the revenue windfall from the total withdrawal of fuel subsidy had not translated into better living standards for citizens, particularly workers who remain on stagnant wages far below N150,000.

The group cited data from state treasuries and the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) showing that monthly allocations to northern states had in many cases doubled or tripled since subsidy removal. It alleged that most governors had allowed the funds to disappear into opaque spending, inflated contracts, and recurrent expenditure that bypasses the working class.

JACON said the refusal to link the revenue increase to workers’ welfare, including the adoption of a N150,000 minimum wage, was directly responsible for worsening mass poverty across the North. It argued that the situation amounted to more than an administrative lapse.

According to the statement, northern workers are currently facing stagnant wages that cannot cover basic food needs amid soaring inflation, alongside unpaid salary arrears and pension deductions stretching for months or years. The group said this had eroded purchasing power and pushed families deeper into multidimensional poverty.

It added that many workers had been forced to rely on informal loans and survival strategies that erode dignity and productivity. The group warned that the crisis was having a direct impact on households, schools, and healthcare.

JACON said households were unable to afford nutritious food, leading to rising malnutrition and child stunting. It noted that families were withdrawing children, especially girls, from school, worsening the North’s education crisis.

The group also said access to healthcare had collapsed as out-of-pocket expenses became unaffordable, contributing to higher maternal and infant mortality rates. It stated that debt traps were deepening as workers borrowed from informal lenders at exorbitant rates.

JACON outlined broader consequences for the region, warning that reduced consumer spending was collapsing local trade and informal economies, thereby shrinking states’ internally generated revenue. It said financially distressed workers could not raise productive children, weakening the next generation of the workforce.

The group further warned that mass poverty among able-bodied workers was fueling recruitment into banditry, kidnapping, and other organized crimes, threatening both rural and urban stability. It said faith in democratic institutions was collapsing as workers saw revenue increases without corresponding relief.

JACON added that underpaid and demoralized public workers, including teachers, nurses, and road workers, were performing poorly or abandoning posts, leading to the decay of schools, clinics, and roads. It said the trend threatened the delivery of basic public services.

To reverse the situation, JACON demanded the immediate adoption and payment of a N150,000 minimum wage to all state and local government workers, backdated to the point of subsidy removal. It also called for clearance of all unpaid salary arrears and pension deductions within 90 days.

The group further demanded monthly publication of FAAC allocations and corresponding welfare expenditure to ensure transparency. It proposed the establishment of a State Workers’ Welfare Trust Fund funded by not less than 30 percent of the monthly subsidy windfall.

With elections approaching, JACON said it would embark on a state-by-state mobilization of the electorate and urged voters to reject governors and lawmakers who received increased revenue but refused to prioritize workers’ welfare. The group said it was ending blind loyalty to ruling parties.

“Our message to every worker, trader, and farmer in northern Nigeria is simple: ‘Your vote is your only weapon. Reject any governor or lawmaker who received increased revenue yet refused to pay a N150,000 minimum wage or prioritize your welfare,’” the statement read.

JACON said it remained committed to defending northern workers and would not stand idle while governors “feast on subsidy proceeds” as workers drown in poverty.