The organised labour movement in Nigeria has intensified pressure on the Federal Government, demanding a sweeping overhaul of workers’ pay with a proposed N154,000 minimum wage and a 120 per cent increase in salaries and allowances.
The demand was put forward by the National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), which said the current earnings of public servants have reduced many to what it described as a “life of servitude.”
In a formal letter addressed to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and dated March 12, 2026, the council outlined what it called an urgent need to review compensation across the public sector.
Titled “Urgent need for the upward review of salaries and allowances of workers in the Nigerian public service and commendation for the approval of gratuity payment to retiring workers,” the letter signals growing frustration among civil servants grappling with economic realities.
The correspondence was jointly signed by the council’s National Chairman, Benjamin Anthony, and National Secretary, Olowoyo Gbenga.
According to the union, the demand followed extensive deliberations at a high-level meeting held on March 9, 2026, at the AUPCTRE National Secretariat in Abuja.
Labour leaders argued that the current wage structure no longer reflects prevailing economic conditions, including rising inflation and the cost of living, which they say have significantly eroded workers’ purchasing power.
“The National leadership… respectfully but firmly calls the attention of your esteemed office to the urgent necessity for an upward review of salaries and allowances,” the letter stated.
The council also acknowledged recent government approval of gratuity payments to retiring workers but insisted that broader reforms are needed to address systemic wage concerns.
