The Nigerian government has raised the provisional pay increase to federal workers, announced by President Bola Tinubu on 1 October, by N10,000.
Workers will now get an additional N35,000 monthly for six months. The salary increase has also been widened to cover all “treasury-paid federal government workers”, according to a statement released by the Minister of Information and National Orientation late Sunday night.
The increase is the result of a meeting between the government and organized labor leaders, in a bid to avert a strike planned for 3 October.
The strike was called by the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) following several failed talks to get the government to provide requested palliatives to cushion the impact of the removal of petrol subsidies on workers and other Nigerians.
Other Promises
At the latest meeting on Sunday, the government promised to fast-track the provision of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses nationwide.
The government also announced a waiver on Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel for six months, pledged to provide funds for micro and small-scale enterprises, and said it would pay N75,000 to 15 million households.
The money would be disbursed in three tranches of N25,000 a month, according to the statement released by the information minister.
Labor leaders, led by the chairman of the Nigeria Labor Congress, Joe Ajaero, said they would meet their sector unions to decide if the government’s guarantees are acceptable.
Both parties agreed to the setting up of a sub-committee to work out the implementation of the announced government interventions.
The meeting was attended by President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; Governor Abdulrazak Abdulrahman of Kwara State; seven federal ministers; the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan; and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
