Federal Workers Demand N300,000 Minimum Wage, N1.5m Salary Cap From Tinubu

The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has formally asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to urgently review the salaries of federal civil servants, proposing that the minimum wage be raised from the current N70,000 to N300,000.

The demand was contained in a letter dated September 2, 2026, and signed by the forum’s National Coordinator, Andrew Emelieze, and General Secretary, Ogundele Ayodele. The letter was addressed to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives through the Clerk of the National Assembly.

President Tinubu, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation were also listed among the recipients of the correspondence. The forum said the proposed salary review had become necessary because the existing pay structure was no longer adequate in the face of the economic pressures confronting federal workers.

Beyond the proposed N300,000 minimum, the workers are seeking a new salary structure that would place the monthly pay of Grade Level 17 officers at N1.5 million. The proposal, according to reports on the letter, would create a salary range beginning at N300,000 for Level 1 Step 1 workers and rising progressively across the higher grade levels.

The FWF argued that the N70,000 minimum wage approved in 2024 has not been fully reflected in the earnings and allowances of federal civil servants. It claimed that workers had continued to press for the complete implementation of the consequential adjustments and other benefits associated with the wage agreement.

According to the forum, the 2024 wage adjustment increased the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000, but it alleged that federal workers effectively received a uniform N40,000 addition across salary levels rather than a full consequential adjustment based on the new wage structure.

The workers cited the rising cost of food, transportation, accommodation, electricity, cooking gas and other essential household expenses as major reasons for their demand. The forum also claimed that some federal employees have resorted to borrowing through microfinance institutions and digital lending platforms to cope with basic expenses.

The salary demand is accompanied by a broader package of welfare requests. The forum is calling for the payment of outstanding salaries, promotion arrears and other entitlements, as well as arrears relating to the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and a permanent Cost of Living Allowance.

Other proposals include a Family Support Allowance, an end to stagnation in the federal civil service, declaration of vacancies for promotions, comprehensive health insurance for workers and pensioners, and improved car, housing and pension arrangements. The group also wants free education for the children of workers and pensioners in federal institutions and tax relief on workers’ allowances.

The FWF is urging the National Assembly to treat the matter as urgent rather than waiting for the next statutory minimum-wage review. Under the 2024 National Minimum Wage framework, the wage is subject to review every three years, meaning the next scheduled review would ordinarily fall in 2027. The forum, however, maintains that workers should not have to wait until then before receiving relief from the current economic pressures.

The latest appeal adds to the growing debate over workers’ purchasing power, public-sector salaries and the adequacy of Nigeria’s current minimum wage. Whether the Federal Government and National Assembly will accept the proposed N300,000 benchmark remains to be seen, but the Federal Workers Forum has made clear that it wants an immediate response and a comprehensive review of the federal salary structure.