The Federal Government’s selective implementation of the new ₦70,000 minimum wage has escalated tensions and sparked fresh unrest among federal public workers across the country. Many of these workers have expressed frustration and outrage, as a significant number have yet to see any increase in their salaries, despite the widespread expectation that the wage hike would bring some financial relief in these challenging times.
This discontent is palpable among employees in various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), including workers in federal universities. They have strongly condemned the situation, viewing the government's actions as a clear display of insensitivity to the harsh realities facing workers amidst the prevailing economic hardship and widespread hunger that continues to affect millions of Nigerians.
Many of these workers, still awaiting the implementation of the new minimum wage, remain disgruntled. President Bola Tinubu had signed the ₦70,000 minimum wage into law on July 18, 2024, following extensive negotiations between the government, the Organised Private Sector (OPS), and key labour unions like the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). Despite this legal mandate, many workers continue to endure a lack of wage adjustments, leading to increasing frustration across the board.
The situation has been further complicated by conflicting reports from key government offices, particularly from the Accountant-General’s Office and the Budget Office, which seem to present differing narratives on the wage implementation.
According to sources within the Accountant-General’s office, the new minimum wage was implemented alongside the salary payments for September, suggesting that federal workers should have already received their increased wages. However, a statement from the Budget Office claimed that, rather than the full minimum wage being implemented, a flat amount of ₦40,000 was paid to all federal workers. This figure was reported as a temporary measure until the proper template for the new minimum wage could be finalized and executed.
This inconsistency has only further aggravated federal employees, many of whom deny receiving any such payments and remain adamant that no wage increase has been reflected in their pay slips. An employee of one of the MDAs, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed deep frustration, telling Vanguard, “We are fed up with the whole system. We do not know what the government wants us to do."
The employee continued, “It is bad enough that the government removed fuel subsidy, which has inflicted unbearable suffering and hardship, including hunger, on workers and other Nigerians across the country. But it is even worse that the minimum wage, which was signed into law in July, has still not been implemented for many of us.”
Other workers voiced similar concerns, sharing stories of how the failure to implement the minimum wage increase has forced many to endure severe financial difficulties. Some workers noted that only a small number of employees in the core civil service had seen any adjustments to their salaries, prompting questions about the fairness of the selective payment process. “What sort of arrangement is that?” asked the anonymous employee. “Are we not all in the same country, experiencing the same hardship and hunger?”
Many have described the situation as discriminatory and likened it to “salary slavery,” asserting that the government’s actions are designed to keep them in a state of perpetual financial struggle. Workers have reported that they are now resorting to drastic measures, such as sleeping in their offices or trekking long distances to work, just to cope with the rising cost of transportation and living expenses.
To make matters worse, many employees are now engaging in self-imposed fasts, unable to afford enough food for themselves or their families. “We cannot meet our responsibilities to our immediate and extended families,” the anonymous worker explained. “Our children have not resumed school because we have no money to pay their fees and other necessities. We do not know why the government has decided to inflict this level of suffering on us.”
In addition to the new minimum wage issue, workers also pointed to the government’s recent increase in the pump price of petrol and electricity tariffs as further evidence of their dire situation. Many argue that these price hikes have eroded whatever financial relief the new minimum wage was supposed to provide, even though it has yet to be fully implemented.
A source in the office of the Accountant-General reiterated that the new minimum wage had been paid alongside the September salary, while another source in the Office of Budget and National Planning explained that the ₦40,000 paid to federal workers was only a temporary measure. The latter source stated that the new template for the minimum wage had not yet been finalized in time for the September pay cycle, which led to the decision to pay a flat rate of ₦40,000 to all federal workers, regardless of their level.
According to the Budget Office source, the official template for the new minimum wage is now ready and will come into full effect by October. This means workers will receive arrears for August, but with deductions for the ₦40,000 already paid in September.
Despite these assurances, workers remain dissatisfied. Union leaders have criticized the selective payment process and the government’s lack of transparency. Benjamin Anthony, President of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) and Chairman of the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJIC), expressed his disappointment. He noted that only a small number of workers had received any wage increase, and for the majority, the situation remains unchanged.
Anthony added, “We are in touch with the office of the Head of Service (HoS) and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), and they told us they are making efforts to pay. That is very bad news, as hunger is everywhere, and some children have not gone back to school because of lack of money.”
Ibeji Nwokoma, President of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), echoed Anthony’s concerns, explaining that the delay in wage implementation had caused severe hardship for his members. “Government has fallen short of the expectations of public servants,” he said. “Everybody was expecting that the new minimum wage would have been implemented by now to cushion the effect of the fuel price increase.”
Similarly, Mohammed Ibrahim, President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), said that the delay is having a profound impact on his members, particularly those who must travel long distances to work. He called on the government to immediately commence payment of the new minimum wage to alleviate the growing financial burden on university workers.