President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given his nod to a new wage award of N35,000 for all Federal civil servants. This development comes as a significant move in the wake of the recent subsidy removal.
Effective from September 1, 2023, the approval was contained in a memo from the Presidency. The memo, signed by Ekpo U. O. Nta, Chairman and CEO of the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, was addressed to various high-ranking officials.
The circular, dated October 19, 2023, was directed to the Chief of Staff to the President, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ministers and Ministers of State, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Chairmen of Federal Commissions, Federal Permanent Secretaries, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Secretary of the National Judicial Council, the Secretary of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, Directors-General, and Chief Executives of Parastatals, Agencies, and Government-Owned Companies, as well as the Auditor-General for the Federation and the Accountant-General of the Federation.
In the memo, it was stated, “I refer to the Memorandum of Understanding reached between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Monday, October 2, 2023, as a result of the dispute arising from the withdrawal of subsidy on the price of premium motor spirit (PMS) and hereby convey the approval of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the grant of a wage award of N35,000:00 (thirty-five thousand Naira) only per month to all Federal Government workers with effect from September 1, 2023, pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.”
Furthermore, the implementation of the N35,000 per month wage award for all treasury-funded Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies will be financed from the treasury. On the other hand, non-treasury funded Federal Government agencies are required to implement the same from their internally generated funds.
This groundbreaking decision by President Tinubu signifies the government’s commitment to addressing the concerns of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC). It is a significant step towards ensuring the welfare of civil servants amidst the subsidy removal.
Civil servants across the country can now look forward to improved compensation, providing them with a better quality of life and boosting their morale in serving the nation.
