Federal Workers Demand ₦300,000 Minimum Wage, ₦1.5m Salary for Top Civil Servants
Korede Abdullah 
Amed Bola Tinubu
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to urgently review the salaries of federal civil servants, proposing an increase in the national minimum wage from ₦70,000 to ₦300,000 and a maximum monthly salary of ₦1.5 million for officers on Grade Level 17.
In a letter dated September 2, 2026, and signed by its National Coordinator, Andrew Emelieze, and General Secretary, Ogundele Ayodele, the forum argued that the current wage structure no longer reflects the country’s rising cost of living.
According to the group, federal workers have continued to grapple with soaring prices of food, transportation, housing, electricity and cooking gas, leaving many employees unable to meet basic needs.
The forum also alleged that the implementation of the 2024 wage review fell short of expectations, claiming that only an additional ₦40,000 was added uniformly to salaries across all grade levels.
Describing the current economic situation as unbearable, the workers urged the Federal Government to immediately review wages rather than waiting for the next statutory review expected in July 2027.
Beyond salary adjustments, the forum demanded the payment of outstanding salaries, promotion arrears, unpaid allowances, the introduction of a permanent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), and improved welfare packages for federal employees.
“Federal workers have suffered enough. It has been three years of torture, torment and agony,” the forum stated, while urging lawmakers to treat the wage review as a matter of national urgency.
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Mirian Gom 
