By Michael Oche
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has proposed an upward review of the minimum wage for federal workers to N300,000 monthly, citing the rising cost of living and declining purchasing power of workers.
The association said the current N70,000 national minimum wage was no longer sufficient to meet the basic needs of an average Nigerian worker, given the sharp increases in the prices of food, transportation, energy and healthcare.
National President of ASCSN, Comrade Shehu Mohammed, made the call while delivering his welcome address at the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, on Thursday.
Mohammed said the government should move beyond temporary palliatives and wage awards and implement a permanent salary increase capable of addressing the economic realities confronting workers.According to him, the union aligns with the position of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in rejecting temporary relief measures, insisting that workers require sustainable improvements in their earnings.
He argued that the current minimum wage of N70,000, which he said was equivalent to approximately $53, could no longer guarantee a dignified standard of living for Nigerian workers.
“Temporary wage awards or palliatives are shortsighted and fail to offer far-reaching solutions to deep economic issues,” he said.
The ASCSN president also expressed concern over the government’s failure to fully implement previous temporary relief packages, including the 2023 wage awards, saying such experiences had weakened workers’ confidence in temporary intervention measures.
Mohammed noted that Nigeria had no maximum wage law and urged the Federal Government not to wait until the next statutory minimum wage negotiation cycle before reviewing workers’ salaries.
“Rather than waiting until the next statutory minimum wage negotiation cycle, we demand that the Federal Government should act immediately by raising the salary of its lowest-paid worker to ₦300,000, with appropriate consequential adjustments across higher salary grade levels,” he said.
He added that some state governments had already taken independent steps to raise workers’ minimum wages beyond the national benchmark in response to the prevailing economic situation.
Beyond the proposed salary increase, Mohammed called on the Federal Government to commence the immediate payment of gratuity to federal public servants following its approval of the restoration of the benefit.
He described the approval as a significant victory for workers, particularly those approaching retirement, noting that gratuity would provide an important financial safety net after years of service.
However, he stressed that the approval would only have meaningful impact when actual payments commenced.
He therefore urged the relevant ministries, departments and agencies, as well as the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, to ensure a transparent and seamless implementation process without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
On capacity development, the union president called on the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to prioritise continuous training and retraining of civil servants across all cadres.
He said technological advancement, artificial intelligence and modern administrative practices had significantly changed the world of work, making it necessary for public servants to acquire relevant skills to remain effective.
Mohammed described training as both a fundamental right of workers and a strategic necessity for effective governance, lamenting what he called a significant capacity-building gap in the Federal Public Service.
On national security, he commended the Federal Government and security agencies for their efforts in tackling insurgency but urged them to intensify action against kidnapping, banditry and highway insecurity.
He said insecurity continued to threaten the lives and property of Nigerians, including civil servants who travel across states to perform their official duties.
The ASCSN also threw its weight behind the establishment of state police, urging the 36 state governors to prevail on the National Assembly to fast-track the necessary legal framework.
On the 2027 general elections, Mohammed urged members of the association across the country to exercise their constitutional voting rights, while calling on the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a level playing field for credible elections.
He further called on state governments yet to conclude the consequential adjustment of salaries following the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage to do so without further delay.
The union also demanded the settlement of outstanding promotion arrears, peculiar allowances and retirement benefits under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Mohammed expressed concern over the limited promotion opportunities for Education Officers in the Federal Ministry of Education, particularly into the Directorate Cadre on Salary Grades 15, 16 and 17, saying the situation had created an artificial bottleneck in career progression.
He called for measures to address the promotion challenges and ensure that qualified officers were given opportunities to advance in their careers.
