Civil Servants Demand 400% Wage Increase Amid Hardship

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

Civil servants represented by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) Trade Union Side have urged the federal and state governments to approve and implement a 400 % increase to the current national minimum wage of N70,000. The request aims to alleviate the severe economic hardship affecting workers across the country.

The demand was adopted during a two‑day National Retreat and Expanded National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the Oasis Conference and Event Centre in Osogbo, Osun State.

In a communiqué signed by National Chairman Benjamin Uyanto and National Secretary Olowoyo Gbenga, the council highlighted the declining purchasing power of Nigerian workers and the growing difficulty many public servants face in meeting rising living costs.

According to the communiqué, the present economic conditions have left workers and their families in serious distress, calling for urgent government action.

“The federal and state governments should implement intervention measures to mitigate the current undeserved hardship. Consequently, governments at all levels should urgently consider the approval and implementation of 400 % of the current N70,000 national minimum wage to address the prevailing economic challenges confronting workers and their families,” the communiqué stated.

The meeting drew national and state leaders of affiliate unions, state chairmen, secretaries and other officers from across the federation. Participants urged organized labour and government to begin discussions on a new national minimum wage by July 2026, ahead of the statutory review scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.

The council noted that early negotiations would help avoid delays, mistrust and disputes that often accompany wage review processes.

Regarding the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, the union expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of some state governments to fully enact the salary adjustments linked to the wage increase.

It warned that the national leadership of JNPSNC would take “appropriate hard steps” against any state government that refuses to implement the approved adjustments for workers.

The council also raised concerns about the non‑implementation of agreements reached through collective bargaining by both federal and state governments, describing the trend as a major source of mistrust between government and workers.

On workers’ welfare, the union called for the immediate implementation of the 40 % peculiar allowance approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, urging the accountant‑general of the federation to expedite payment without further delay.

It also demanded the implementation of occupational hazard allowances approved for some agricultural professionals in the public service, lamenting delays despite approval by the 46th National Council on Establishment.

The council urged the federal government to take urgent steps to revive the economy, strengthen the naira, improve electricity generation and provide tax reliefs to workers and investors to stimulate industrial growth and local production.

The retreat and NEC meeting were attended by top government officials, including Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, representatives from the Federal Ministry of Labour, heads of service, permanent secretaries and directors of establishment matters from several states across the federation.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants passed a vote of confidence in the national leadership of the JNPSNC and approved a four‑year single tenure for both national and state leadership positions of the council, effective from the next election.

This version follows the style and structure commonly used by Nigerian national newspapers.