Nigerian workers have confirmed that they have started receiving the newly approved N70,000 minimum wage from the Federal Government. The payment follows the approval of a pay increase by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the subsequent passage of the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024, by the Senate. This new wage is a significant increase from the previous minimum wage of N30,000, which was set during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Representatives from both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have confirmed the payment. In separate statements issued on Thursday, the NLC’s spokesperson, Benson Upah, and the Deputy President of the TUC, Tommy Etim, commented on the commencement of the payment. Upah, while expressing satisfaction with the development, encouraged other establishments and organizations in Nigeria to follow the Federal Government’s lead. “Yes, I think so. We ask other entities to emulate this example,” Upah said.
Tommy Etim, representing the TUC, echoed this sentiment and added that a template for consequential adjustments has already been issued by the government. According to him, there is no reason for any organization to delay implementing the new wage. “FG’s committee on consequential adjustments already released a template, so, no one has any moral ground to delay the payment of the minimum wage,” Etim noted.
Federal civil servants have also confirmed the receipt of the new minimum wage in their accounts. A civil servant working in the office of the Head of Civil Service, who chose to remain anonymous, shared that he received the payment on Thursday. “I got an alert around 2 pm on Thursday. I am hoping the arrears will come too,” he told the media.
In addition to the base wage, several workers mentioned that they received an extra N40,000 as part of the consequential adjustments to their salaries. This marks a significant improvement for over 1.2 million federal workers, who are now benefitting from the new pay structure.
Earlier in the week, Ekpo Nta, Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, confirmed that the Federal Government had approved the review of the consolidated public service salary structure (CONPSS). This review was carried out to align with the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024, which had earlier been passed into law.
While the pay increase is a relief to many workers, it comes during a time when inflation in the country is at a record high. In August 2024, Nigeria’s headline inflation stood at 32.15%, while food inflation was recorded at 37.52%. These rising costs of goods and services mean that while the wage increase is welcomed, many workers may still struggle to make ends meet due to the increasing cost of living.
