Anambra State’s Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has announced that his administration will implement a minimum wage of N70,000 for state workers starting October 2024. This initiative aims to alleviate the financial challenges posed by rising living costs and inflation. Soludo’s decision makes Anambra one of the first states in Nigeria to embrace the new national minimum wage, reflecting his commitment to enhancing the welfare of public employees.
In addition to the new wage policy, Governor Soludo introduced a landmark expansion of free education throughout Anambra’s public schools, now covering all levels, including primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary. This initiative extends an earlier policy that already provided free education at the primary and junior secondary levels. During his announcement at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Center, Awka, Soludo emphasized the role of accessible education in reducing out-of-school rates and promoting social mobility. As a result of this policy, Anambra has reportedly seen an 18% increase in school enrollment and a 2% decrease in out-of-school children, positioning it as the state with Nigeria’s lowest percentage of out-of-school youth.
This dual policy of wage increase and educational reform is seen as part of Soludo’s broader vision for social progress and economic stability in Anambra.
