Seven weeks after the signing of the new Minimum Wage Act, the Federal Government has inaugurated a 16-member committee to discuss consequential salary adjustments for federal civil servants. The move follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the new minimum wage, which raised the base salary from N30,000 to N70,000, a 133.33% increase.
The committee, inaugurated by Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, Head of Service of the Federation, is tasked with creating a fair and equitable salary structure for government employees impacted by the new wage law. Walson-Jack emphasized that the salary adjustments are necessary to account for the ripple effects of the new minimum wage across other staff categories.
Comprising eight members from both the Federal Government and the Trade Union sides, the committee will focus on implementing the provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act, 2024. Key government members include the Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), and permanent secretaries from various ministries, including Labour and Employment, General Service, and Service Welfare.
Representatives from the labour side, led by Comrade Benjamin Anthony, National Chairman of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) and National Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), are also involved. Other notable labour leaders include Comrade Oluwole Adeleye Sunday, Comrade Kabiru Minjibir, and Comrade Michael Nnachi.
Walson-Jack laid out the committee’s terms of reference, which include negotiating salary adjustments and developing a template for the implementation of the new N70,000 minimum wage. She expressed confidence that the committee would work to maintain industrial peace and serve the best interests of the public service.
Responding on behalf of the labour side, Mr. Benjamin Anthony expressed gratitude for the government’s commitment to addressing the salary adjustments. He described the committee’s formation as a crucial step toward finalizing discussions on the new minimum wage and pledged labour’s cooperation in ensuring a fair outcome for Nigerian workers.
“This committee is a stepping stone, and we are ready to work together with the government to ensure a sincere and equitable resolution for the Nigerian workforce,” Anthony said.
