Imo Governor Hope Uzodimma has approved a new minimum wage of ₦104,000 for workers in the state civil service.
This decision places Imo among the few States that have implemented such an increase in line with national economic realities and the rising cost of living.
The Governor, in an announcement, also unveiled a comprehensive package of incentives and reforms designed to uplift the state’s workforce and pensioners.
Uzodimma confirmed that the ₦104,000 wage structure will take effect immediately.
It was gathered that for civil servants already earning consolidated salaries of ₦104,000 or more, the government has approved an additional 10 percent salary increment to ensure equity and widespread impact of the wage review.
This initiative also introduces substantial increases for other key sectors, including healthcare and education.
On healthcare sector, the new salary structure raises entry-level salaries for doctors to ₦582,000.
This adjustment, the Governor said, not only acknowledges the critical role that healthcare professionals play in society but also serves as an incentive to attract and retain qualified personnel in the state.
He said the new salary structure also addresses the educational sector, with entry-level salaries for lecturers set at ₦222,000.
Beyond the salary increase, the Governor assured Imo workers of the sustained implementation of the 13th-month salary and promised that all promotions granted in recent years would now be financially implemented.
“This is more than a wage increment,” Uzodimma said. “It is a commitment to restoring dignity to labour and ensuring that our public servants can live decent, productive lives.”
In an unprecedented gesture, the Governor also rolled out N16 billion in gratuities to pensioners. These include free healthcare insurance coverage aimed at easing the financial burdens of aged retirees.
Further, the State has begun the long-overdue payment of gratuities dating back to 2006. According to the administration, over 5,700 retirees — including 2,962 from the local government sector and 2,742 from the state level — will receive their entitlements in phased batches.
According to the Governor many have already been paid, with the remaining set to receive payments in one or two more installments.
The government’s salary reforms also extend to workers at the Imo State Transport Company (ITC).
In June 2025, ITC staff salaries were revised upwards, with monthly pay moving from a modest ₦9,000–₦41,000 to ₦51,000–₦60,000, depending on grade level and responsibilities. This is seen as a major turnaround for the previously neglected sector.
This latest development builds on earlier actions by the Uzodimma-led administration. In July 2023, following the removal of fuel subsidies and the attendant economic hardship, the Governor approved a temporary increase in the state’s minimum wage to ₦40,000. The package at the time included free transportation, medical care, and additional social interventions.
Speaking to the Nation, Imo Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Uchenna Ibe Great, described the wage review as “commendable” and a “welcome development.”
“It is quite commendable. We applaud the governor for this review. Since nobody told him to do it, he took it upon himself to do it, despite all the problems confronting Imo State, he has the chance to think about the workforce, it is a good development,” Great said.
The TUC chairman also appreciated the Governor for considering the welfare of retirees particularly the N16 billion in gratuities to pensioners.
“The Governor has given the pensioners the opportunity to change their next of kin. This development will save people from too many court cases experienced in the past,” he added.
Great emphasized that the Governor’s decision was not as a result of pressure from the labour workforce but a gesture of goodwill.
He described the wage increase as a victory for the entire workforce in the state,
“no worker in Imo will say you (Uzodimma) have not been fair at least for this.”
At the state Secretariat along Owerri-Port Harcourt Road, jubilation galore erupted as workers celebrated the governor’s approval of the new minimum wage.
While some workers expressed cautious optimism, saying they would wait to see the implementation of the new minimum wage, others described the governor’s gesture as unexpected and sudden, welcoming the move as a positive development.
