Akume Calls For Sustainable Wage Policy As Labour Pushes For Fresh Talks
Dr. Nafisat Makinɗe, Abuja
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume has called for wage policies that balance workers’ demands for fair pay with the government’s financial capacity, as organised labour presses for fresh minimum wage negotiations amid rising living costs.
Akume, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the General Services Office, Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, spoke on Monday at the opening of a three day board and management retreat of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) in Abuja. The retreat, themed “Vision, Strategy and Institutional Renewal,” focused on strengthening the commission’s capacity to manage wage policy and respond to changing economic conditions. Details of the event were provided by Chris Ugwuegbulam, Head of the Information and Public Relations Department in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Akume said economic reforms and rising public expectations had increased the need for a fair and sustainable wage system. He urged the commission to base its recommendations on credible data, prevailing economic conditions and consultations with organised labour, employers and other stakeholders. He also called for stronger research, improved data management, digital transformation and investment in staff development.
The retreat comes amid disagreement between the Federal Government and organised labour over when negotiations for a new national minimum wage should begin. The current statutory minimum wage of ₦70,000 was enacted in 2024 and is subject to review under a three year cycle, with the next review due in 2027. Labour leaders have called for preparations to begin earlier, arguing that rising prices and the depreciation of the naira have eroded workers’ purchasing power.
Nigeria Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero urged the Federal Government to address the economic hardship facing workers, saying their welfare was essential to productivity and economic stability. The union has also demanded a reduction in petrol prices and the implementation of outstanding agreements affecting workers. No new minimum wage agreement was announced at the retreat.
The commission’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Junaid Sani Bindawa, a retired major general, called for closer cooperation between the board and management to improve institutional performance. He said the board should provide strategic direction and oversight, while management and staff ensured that approved policies were implemented. He identified professionalism, integrity, sound research and constructive stakeholder engagement as essential to effective wage governance.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Olumuyiwa Enitan Abel, described his office’s relationship with the commission as a partnership, saying their complementary responsibilities were important to the welfare and development of the federal civil service. He said ongoing reforms were intended to make the service more efficient, productive, incorruptible and citizen centred. Abel added that a better equipped and digitally compliant workforce would support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the government’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Akume urged participants to ensure that the retreat produced practical strategies, clear responsibilities and measurable performance targets. He said public institutions must translate policy intentions into tangible improvements in governance and the lives of Nigerians. “As we work collectively to advance the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, every public institution must demonstrate that it can translate policy intentions into tangible improvements in governance and the lives of Nigerians,” he said.