Nigeria Commemorates Workers’ Day with Salary Raises of Up to 35% for Civil Servants
Nigeria has implemented salary increases for civil servants ranging from 25% to 35% to alleviate soaring living costs. Reuters news agency reports that the lowest-paid government employee will earn $324 (£258) annually. This adjustment, backdated to January, will benefit various state workers, including police and military personnel.
The decision was announced on the eve of Wednesday’s Workers’ Day holiday, coinciding with Nigeria’s grappling with a staggering inflation rate exceeding 30%, the highest in nearly three decades. Food prices have surged by 35%, as per data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Consequently, the salary hikes aim to maintain the purchasing power of civil servants amid escalating living expenses.
Additionally, according to the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission (NSIWC), pensions for eligible workers will see increases ranging from 20% to 28%. These adjustments follow recent salary increments for academic and healthcare professionals.
However, despite these positive developments, the monthly minimum wage set by the government, established at 30,000 naira in 2019, remains stagnant. This stagnation has been compounded by the drastic depreciation of the naira, rendering the minimum wage equivalent to just $19 (£15) due to currency devaluation.
Furthermore, the government has recently raised electricity tariffs for high-consumption users to reduce economic reliance on subsidies that strain public finances. While these measures seek to address financial challenges, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the government to ensure that salary adjustments reflect citizens’ harsh economic realities.
NLC spokesman Comrade Benson Upah stressed the need for inclusive wage increases, extending beyond privileged sectors to encompass lower-cadre civil servants vulnerable to economic hardship.
Meanwhile, ongoing negotiations between the government and labor unions are centered on a potential minimum wage hike. The economic landscape in Nigeria remains challenging, with food and commodity prices doubling in many regions since the removal of fuel subsidies last year. Fuel shortages exacerbate the situation, with long queues observed in major cities due to supply disruptions attributed to logistical constraints.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, faces the paradox of fuel scarcity despite its abundant oil resources. The country’s limited refining capacity necessitates reliance on fuel imports despite being an oil-exporting nation.
