Federal Workers Forum, FWF, don write President Bola Tinubu and National Assembly, dey demand make government increase federal workers’ minimum wage from N70,000 to N300,000 because di current salary no dey enough to handle di high cost of living for Nigeria again.
For di letter wey dem date September 2, 2026, di workers also ask government to review di entire salary structure for federal civil servants and make Level 17 officers earn N1.5 million.
Di forum say di N70,000 minimum wage wey government approve for 2024 never fully enter workers’ pockets as dem expect. Dem claim say federal workers never receive di full consequential adjustment and some allowances wey suppose follow di new wage.
According to di workers, when minimum wage move from N30,000 to N70,000, government only add N40,000 to salaries across di different levels of federal civil service.
Di FWF say things like food, transport, house rent, electricity, cooking gas, phone data and other basic needs don cost so much that N70,000 salary no fit sustain ordinary federal worker again.
Dem also claim say many federal workers don enter serious debt with microfinance companies and loan apps just to survive and some workers dey even borrow money to get transport go work.
Di forum further talk say some workers don resort to using firewood because dem no fit afford cooking gas again.
FWF warn say di continuous hardship fit affect workers’ productivity and create conditions wey fit encourage corruption.
Under di salary structure wey di workers propose, Level 1 Step 1 worker go earn N300,000, while Level 17 Step 1 officer go earn N1.5 million.
Dem propose N330,000 for Level 2, N360,000 for Level 3, N390,000 for Level 4, N420,000 for Level 5, N450,000 for Level 6 and N480,000 for Level 7.
Level 8 go earn N510,000, Level 9 N550,000, Level 10 N600,000, Level 12 N700,000, Level 13 N750,000, Level 14 N800,000, Level 15 N1 million and Level 16 N1.2 million.
Apart from di N300,000 minimum wage, di workers also demand payment of outstanding salaries, promotion arrears and other entitlements wey government never settle.
Dem want government to pay di outstanding 40 per cent peculiar allowance, implement di full consequential adjustment of di 2024 minimum wage and introduce permanent Cost of Living Allowance to help workers cope with rising prices.
Di forum also ask for Family Support Allowance, better health insurance for federal workers and pensioners, car and housing loan schemes, improved pension benefits and an end to stagnation inside di civil service.
Dem further demand free education for children of federal workers and pensioners inside federal institutions, plus tax relief and reduction of tax on workers’ allowances.
On wider economic issues, FWF call for stronger social security programme for unemployed and underemployed Nigerians, free medical treatment for children, pregnant women and elderly citizens, and special government intervention for people wey dey battle cancer and other serious diseases.
Di workers also call for stronger action against insecurity and demand efforts to secure di release of Nigerians wey kidnappers still dey hold.
Di forum ask National Assembly to investigate reports say government fit dey borrow part of workers’ contributory pension savings. Dem say if di report true, government should stop di practice and return di money.
FWF also call for return of petrol subsidy, control of prices of essential goods and services, stronger local production and industrialisation, and policies wey go improve Nigerians’ purchasing power.
Di workers appeal to National Assembly to take their demands to President Tinubu, insisting say dem no fit wait until July 2027 before government review their salaries.
Dem say federal workers don suffer enough and government need treat di matter as an emergency so workers fit survive di current economic hardship and still perform their duties properly.
