In a significant move aimed at improving the welfare of civil servants, the Federal Government has approved a salary increase ranging from 25% to 35% across various salary structures. This increase will apply to personnel on six Consolidated Salary Structures, including those in the public service, research and allied institutions, police, para-military, intelligence community, and armed forces.

The approval comes following prior increments granted to workers in the Tertiary Education and Health Sectors, with improvements seen in university, polytechnic, college of education, and health sector salary structures.

Emmanuel Njoku, the Head of Press at the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission (NSIWC), confirmed that the salary increase is effective from 1st January 2024. Additionally, the government has extended its generosity to pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme within the six consolidated salary structures, approving a pension hike ranging from 20% to 28%, also effective from 1st January 2024.

This development comes as different states in Nigeria have begun increasing their minimum wages, with Edo State setting a new minimum wage of N70,000 and Lagos State raising its wage allowance to ₦35,000. Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State also announced a new minimum wage of N40,000 for the state’s workers, emphasizing its alignment with the state’s financial realities and commitment to workers’ welfare.

As Nigeria celebrates these positive steps towards improving the standard of living for its workers and pensioners, questions arise about the sustainability and continuity of these policies. Will this salary increase be another short-lived promise, or will it mark a genuine effort towards lasting change in the country’s welfare policies? Only time will tell as Nigeria navigates its path towards progress and development.