The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to review the salaries of federal civil servants, proposing an increase in the minimum wage from 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, with the President, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation listed among the recipients.
The forum also proposed a new salary structure that would place the lowest-paid federal workers on N300,000 and Level 17 Step 1 officers on N1.5m. It argued that the existing wage structure no longer reflects the economic realities facing public servants.
According to the workers, the 2024 minimum wage review, which raised the benchmark from N30,000 to N70,000, had not been fully implemented across the federal civil service. They alleged that workers received a flat N40,000 increase instead of the full consequential adjustment and associated allowances expected under the new wage framework.
The FWF said the rising cost of food, transportation, accommodation, electricity, cooking gas and other essential goods had made the current minimum wage inadequate. It added that some workers were struggling with debt and borrowing to meet daily needs, warning that the situation could undermine morale and productivity.
The proposed salary structure provides for N330,000 for Level 2 workers, N360,000 for Level 3, N390,000 for Level 4, N420,000 for Level 5, N450,000 for Level 6 and N480,000 for Level 7. The forum further proposed N510,000 for Level 8, N550,000 for Level 9, N600,000 for Level 10, N700,000 for Level 12, N750,000 for Level 13, N800,000 for Level 14, N1m for Level 15 and N1.2m for Level 16 officers.
Beyond the proposed wage increase, the workers demanded payment of outstanding salaries, promotion arrears and other entitlements.
They also called for the implementation and payment of arrears of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance, a permanent Cost of Living Allowance and a Family Support Allowance.
Other demands included an end to stagnation in the civil service, declaration of vacancies for promotions, comprehensive health insurance for workers and pensioners, car and housing loan schemes, improved pension arrangements, long-service awards and free education for the children of federal workers and pensioners in federal institutions.
The forum further urged the government to introduce broader social welfare measures, including support for unemployed and underemployed Nigerians, free medical care for vulnerable groups, stronger action against insecurity and intervention programmes for the treatment of cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
It also called for an investigation into reports that part of workers’ contributory pension savings was being borrowed by the executive, demanding an immediate halt and refund if the allegation was confirmed.
The FWF additionally advocated the return of petrol subsidy, price controls for essential goods and services, stronger local production and measures to improve Nigerians’ purchasing power.
The workers urged the National Assembly to treat their demands as an emergency, insisting that federal employees should not have to wait until July 2027 for a salary review. They argued that improved wages were necessary to protect workers’ welfare and enable them to effectively carry out government policies.