The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to urgently review the salaries of federal civil servants and increase the national minimum wage from ₦70,000 to ₦300,000.
The demand was contained in a letter dated September 2, 2026, signed by the forum’s National Coordinator, Andrew Emelieze, and General Secretary, Ogundele Ayodele.
The letter was addressed to the leadership of the National Assembly through the Clerk, with President Tinubu, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation also listed among the recipients.
Beyond the proposed minimum wage increase, the workers’ group called for a new salary structure that would place the highest federal civil service salary at ₦1.5 million for officers on Level 17.
The forum argued that the existing wage structure no longer adequately reflects the economic challenges facing federal employees.
According to the group, the ₦70,000 minimum wage introduced in 2024 has not been fully implemented for federal workers, particularly in relation to consequential adjustments and other allowances.
The FWF claimed that although the 2024 wage review raised the national minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, federal workers effectively received a uniform ₦40,000 addition to their salaries instead of adjustments based on their different salary levels.
The workers said the situation had become increasingly difficult as the prices of food, transportation, accommodation, electricity, cooking gas and other basic necessities continue to put pressure on household incomes.
They therefore argued that government should not wait for the next scheduled wage review before responding to what they described as declining purchasing power.
Under the proposal submitted by the forum, workers on Level 1 Step 1 would receive ₦300,000 monthly, while the proposed salary would rise progressively across the various grades.
The structure includes ₦330,000 for Level 2, ₦360,000 for Level 3, ₦390,000 for Level 4, ₦420,000 for Level 5, ₦450,000 for Level 6 and ₦480,000 for Level 7.
The proposal further places Level 8 at ₦510,000, Level 9 at ₦550,000, Level 10 at ₦600,000, Level 12 at ₦700,000, Level 13 at ₦750,000, Level 14 at ₦800,000, Level 15 at ₦1 million, Level 16 at ₦1.2 million and Level 17 at ₦1.5 million.
The FWF also called for the payment of outstanding salaries, promotion arrears and other entitlements allegedly owed to federal workers.
Among its demands are the implementation and payment of arrears relating to the 40 per cent peculiar allowance, full consequential adjustments arising from the 2024 minimum wage and the introduction of a permanent cost-of-living allowance.
The group further requested improved welfare measures, including family support allowances, comprehensive health insurance for workers and pensioners, housing and car loan schemes, improved pension arrangements and measures to address stagnation within the civil service.
The forum also urged the government to consider free education for children of federal workers and pensioners in federal institutions, as well as tax relief on workers’ allowances.
Beyond salary-related issues, the workers called for broader social intervention measures, including assistance for unemployed and underemployed Nigerians, improved access to healthcare and stronger measures to tackle insecurity.
The forum also asked the National Assembly to investigate an allegation that part of workers’ contributory pension savings may have been borrowed by the executive, while calling for any such funds to be refunded if the allegation is established.
It additionally advocated measures to improve local production, strengthen the purchasing power of Nigerians and address the rising cost of essential goods and services.
The Federal Workers Forum urged lawmakers to treat its requests as urgent, arguing that federal employees should not have to wait until 2027 for another review of their wages.
The group maintained that an immediate salary adjustment would help improve workers’ welfare and enable them to perform their responsibilities more effectively amid the country’s prevailing economic challenges.
