2025 May Day: Gov. Ododo Approves Additional One Year Tax Relief For Workers
…Implements 40/65 Career Service, Retirement Age for Health Professionals
By Abubakar Suleman
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has approved an additional one-year tax relief for workers, aimed at cushioning the impact of the current economic pressures and reinforcing his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
The new tax relief, extended to October 2026 follows a tax holiday earlier introduced in October 2024, when the Kogi state government commenced implementation of the new national minimum wage of N72,500 for workers in the state.
Speaking during the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration at the Muhammadu Buhari Square in Lokoja, Governor Ododo said the decision to extend the tax relief was informed by the continued rise in cost of living and the need to support families adjusting to current economic realities in the country.
“We understand the economic realities our people face, and we are taking practical steps to mitigate the effects.
“The additional one-year tax relief is a continuation of the policy we launched alongside the new minimum wage in October last year”, the Governor stated.
Governor Ododo also announced the implementation of a 40-year career service and 65 years retirement age for professional medical health workers in the state.
Also approved by the Governor was a water facility at the State Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also known as Comrade Onuh Edoka Labour House in Lokoja, to ensure reliable water supply to the Labour House and surrounding communities.
Alhaji Ododo assured that his administration remains committed to prompt payments of salaries, gratuity and pensions harmonization noting that the welfare of workers will is central to the administration’s agenda.
He also outlined other ongoing initiatives, including free healthcare for pensioners, investments in education, and agricultural development programmes with focus on the teeming population of youth and women across the state.
Governor Ododo called for continued cooperation between the state government and the organised labour, emphasizing that industrial peace and harmony were critical for inclusive growth and development.
Meanwhile, the NLC Chairman in Kogi State, Comrade Gabriel Amari, expressed appreciation for government’s responsiveness to workers’ needs, including the timely payment of salaries, implementation of the new national minimum wage, harmonization of pension, ongoing training and retraining of workers, appointment of labour leaders and inclusion of the organized labour in key decision making by the state government.
On his part, Kogi State Head of Service, Dr. Elijah Evinemi thanked the Governor for his commitment to the welfare of workers in the state and called on the people of the state to continue to support the Governor in his determination to reduce economic burden on workers and the entire people of the state.
