The Federal Government has commenced the payment of the new minimum wage of N70,000 and its consequential adjustments to public servants, according to the Punch.
This comes seven months after negotiations that led to the approval of the new wage.
Over 1.2 million civil servants on the government’s payroll will receive the new minimum wage starting in September 2024. A warrant for the September salary, signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, directed the Budget Office to begin disbursing the new payments.
Documents obtained from the National Income, Salaries, and Wages Commission reveal a detailed breakdown of what civil servants under the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) will earn annually. For instance, level one officers will now earn N930,000 per annum, while those on level 17, the highest grade, will receive N6.9 million annually.
Civil servants across all Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), the Armed Forces, Paramilitary, and educational institutions will benefit from the new salary structure. In total, 1,236,824 workers are affected by this wage adjustment. The new wage bill will cost the government N334.9 billion monthly, amounting to an annual expenditure of N4.019 trillion.
This follows the July 29, 2024, signing of the new minimum wage law by President Bola Tinubu after negotiations with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC). The effective date for implementation of the wage increase was set as July 2024.
Speaking to the press, Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, confirmed the payments began on Thursday. “The new minimum wage payment will begin from today for this month,” he said, adding that no decision had been made yet on arrears.
The wage adjustment has been welcomed by organized labor, with the NLC and TUC urging other organizations to follow the Federal Government’s example. Benson Upah, spokesperson of the NLC, said, “We ask other entities to emulate this example.” TUC Deputy President Tommy Etim echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that no one should delay the payment of the new wage.
However, some civil servants expressed dissatisfaction with the raise, calling it inadequate given the current economic challenges. A grade-level 12 officer commented, “This salary increase is too small compared to the economic hardships we’ve faced. I feel deceived.”
Meanwhile, pensioners in the Southwest have renewed calls for a renegotiation of the minimum wage, advocating for a N250,000 monthly salary to better reflect the current economic realities.
