President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on state governors to commence payment of wage awards pending the determination of the new minimum wage.

The President made the appeal during the flag-off of the agricultural mechanization revolution for food security and the commissioning of the remodelled domestic terminal of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport in Minna today.

President Tinubu stated that if states implemented the wage awards, it would provide relief to the people without causing inflationary pressures.

He urged all states to adopt the wage award and expressed hope that the National Executive Council (NEC) would also adopt it.

He stated, “If all of you, the sub-nationals, have been paying the wages award, pending the determination of the new salary wage.

“Let all the states start paying the wages award. Whatever they are taking now plus the wage award would relieve the public.”

He added: “Please, I am not giving an order, I am appealing to you states, start paying the wages awards, let everyone start paying it. It is a relief to the people.

“The mechanism is the fact that it won’t be inflationary if we announce the new salary wage in a few weeks or months; they would have gotten used to the basic wages of N30,000 plus the wages award, and it will have a dampening effect on the market. Please get sub-nationals together, and NEC should adopt this.”

In addition to addressing wage issues, President Tinubu promised that his government would address challenges such as violent attacks, cattle rustling, and related issues.

He pledged to inaugurate the Livestock Change program in Nigeria within the next few weeks.