FG grants N35,000 wage award to federal workers

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has approved a wage award of N35,000 per month to all federal workers, effective from September 1, 2023.

This was announced in a circular issued by the Chairman/CEO of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, to all heads of FG ministries, agencies and parastatals on Friday.

The wage award was a result of the Memorandum of Understanding reached between the FGN and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Monday, October 2, 2023. The agreement was reached after a dispute over the withdrawal of subsidy on the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), which led to an increase in fuel prices and transport fares.

The press statement said that “the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” had granted “a wage award of N35,000:00 (thirty-five thousand Naira) only per month to all Federal Government workers with effect from Ist September 2023 pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.”

It also said that “the implementation of the N35,000,00 per month wage award for all Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies that are treasury-funded will be funded from the treasury, Non-treasury funded Federal Government agencies are to implement same from their internally generated revenue (IGR) or statutory allocations.”

The wage award is expected to cushion the effect of the fuel price hike on the workers and boost their morale and productivity. The FGN also appealed to the workers to reciprocate the gesture by being more committed and diligent in their duties.