Nigeria’s Federal Government is facing renewed pressure over workers’ pay after the Federal Workers Forum, FWF, demanded an immediate increase in the federal minimum wage from ₦70,000 to ₦300,000.
The workers argued that the existing wage structure is no longer sufficient to support federal civil servants amid the rising cost of living, calling for an urgent review of salaries and allowances.
The demand was contained in a letter dated September 2, 2026, addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly. The Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation were also listed among the recipients.
The Forum did not limit its proposal to an adjustment of the minimum wage. It also called for a completely revised salary structure that would increase earnings across the federal civil service, with the highest-paid Level 17 officer proposed to receive ₦1.5 million monthly.
Under the proposed structure, workers at Level 1 Step 1 would earn a minimum of ₦300,000 per month, representing the figure the group wants adopted as the new federal minimum wage.
“We call for justice and immediate wage review now, adjust the federal minimum wage to N300,000 and a maximum wage of N1.5m for the Level 17 officers,” the Federal Workers Forum said.
The latest demand places another wage proposal before the Federal Government at a time when salary levels remain a major concern for organised labour and public-sector workers.
According to the FWF, the issue is not simply the amount currently being paid but what it described as incomplete implementation of the minimum wage agreement reached in 2024.
The Forum alleged that federal workers have not received the full consequential adjustment and related allowances arising from the 2024 wage agreement.
“It will surprise you to hear that the Federal Government has not fully implemented the new national minimum wage since July 2024. We have been in the battle for full consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage,” the workers said.
The allegation forms a central part of the Forum’s argument for an immediate review of the wage structure. The group maintains that workers should receive the full benefits associated with the existing minimum wage agreement before any further adjustment is considered.
Nigeria’s current federal minimum wage was approved in July 2024, when President Bola Tinubu’s administration increased the monthly minimum from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.
The new figure represented a significant nominal increase from the previous wage level, but workers are now arguing that changing economic conditions have eroded its ability to meet their needs.
The FWF said the cost of living for many Nigerians has tripled between 2024 and 2026, using the increase as part of its justification for seeking a substantial upward adjustment in wages.
The proposed ₦300,000 minimum would therefore represent more than four times the existing ₦70,000 federal minimum wage.
The Forum’s proposal also establishes a wide salary range, from ₦300,000 for a Level 1 Step 1 worker to ₦1.5 million for the highest-paid Level 17 officer.
By presenting both figures, the workers are calling for a broader restructuring of federal salaries rather than an isolated adjustment at the lowest level.
The demand comes shortly after another major labour organisation called for an even higher minimum wage.
In August 2026, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, demanded an upward review of the minimum wage to ₦500,000.
The NLC’s demand is higher than the ₦300,000 being sought by the Federal Workers Forum, adding to the pressure surrounding Nigeria’s current wage structure.
The latest intervention by the FWF specifically targets federal workers and was formally communicated to the country’s key political and judicial authorities through the September 2 letter.
The Forum’s appeal to the President and the National Assembly indicates that it wants the issue of federal workers’ salaries placed before the institutions responsible for national policy and legislation.
The group is also seeking attention from senior government officials, including the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
At the centre of the workers’ argument is the gap between official salary levels and the cost of maintaining a decent standard of living.
The FWF contends that the ₦70,000 minimum wage is no longer adequate under current economic conditions and wants the government to respond with what it describes as an immediate and just wage review.
Its proposed structure would significantly raise the starting salary while also increasing the maximum salary for senior federal civil servants.
The Forum’s position also reflects dissatisfaction with what it says has been a prolonged struggle over the implementation of the 2024 minimum wage arrangement.
It alleged that federal workers have continued to push for the full consequential adjustment associated with the wage increase since the new minimum wage took effect in July 2024.
The workers are therefore asking the Federal Government to address both the outstanding implementation concerns and the broader question of whether the existing minimum wage remains adequate.
The ₦300,000 figure represents the Forum’s proposed solution to that concern, while its proposed ₦1.5 million maximum would establish a higher ceiling for Level 17 officers.
For the workers, the requested adjustment is linked directly to the economic realities they say civil servants are facing.
The Federal Workers Forum has consequently placed the wage issue before the President and National Assembly at a time when minimum wage demands are already generating renewed debate.
While the current federal minimum wage remains ₦70,000, the FWF wants that figure replaced with ₦300,000 and is seeking a corresponding restructuring of federal salaries.
The Forum’s proposal now puts fresh salary pressure on the Federal Government, following the NLC’s separate call for a ₦500,000 minimum wage in August.
The latest demand is therefore part of a growing debate over whether Nigeria’s existing wage structure adequately reflects the cost of living faced by workers.
For the Federal Workers Forum, the answer is no. It is calling for an immediate review, full implementation of the outstanding consequential adjustment and a new salary structure ranging from ₦300,000 at Level 1 Step 1 to ₦1.5 million for Level 17 officers.
Nigerian Workers Demand ₦300,000 Minimum Wage as Federal Government Faces Fresh Salary Pressure
