By Emmanuella Opara | October 19th 2026
KEY POINTS
- The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission calls for sustainable wage policies that balance workers’ welfare with government finances.
- The commission plans to develop an action plan with measurable targets to strengthen wage administration and institutional performance.
- Officials emphasise research, digitalisation and social dialogue to improve public service delivery and prevent industrial disputes.
MAIN STORY
The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) has called for sustainable wage policies, stronger institutional capacity and improved engagement with labour unions to protect workers’ welfare and promote economic stability.
The commission’s Chairman, retired Maj.-Gen. Junaid Bindawa, made the call at the opening of a three-day board and management retreat in Abuja.
Bindawa said wage administration played a central role in economic management, public expenditure, industrial relations and productivity, stressing the need for policies that respond to inflation, changing economic conditions and workers’ expectations.
He said the commission needed to strengthen its research capacity, improve data reliability and provide objective analysis to guide government decisions on wages and incomes.
According to him, wage policies must balance workers’ legitimate demands with productivity, social justice and the government’s ability to meet its financial obligations.
Bindawa said the retreat should produce a practical roadmap with clear priorities, measurable targets and actions that could be implemented. He also called for closer cooperation between the commission’s board and management, improved internal processes and wider adoption of digital and data-driven systems.
The commission’s Secretary, Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas, said the retreat would strengthen its capacity to advise the government on national incomes policy and public sector remuneration.
She stressed that wage decisions should be based on evidence rather than emergency responses to economic pressures.
“What the Nigerian worker earns is not a technical footnote; it touches every home, every market and every budget in this country,” she said.
Okoya-Thomas said the 2024 national minimum wage demonstrated that economic reforms could be pursued alongside efforts to protect workers’ welfare.
She added that participants would examine wage data, fair remuneration, fiscal constraints, social dialogue and the commission’s institutional capacity.
The resulting action plan, she said, would align with the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria Agenda 2050 and the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2027 to 2030. It would include defined priorities, responsibilities, timelines and measurable outcomes, with the commission’s Monitoring and Evaluation Division responsible for tracking implementation.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Olumuyiwa Abel, said civil service reforms were necessary to improve public administration and support the country’s economic objectives.
Abel said his office and the commission shared responsibilities in advancing workers’ welfare and public service development. He added that the civil service was prioritising staff welfare, capacity development and the digitalisation of government workflows.
“The civil service of today is being repositioned, re-energised and repackaged to rise to the occasion and ensure effective service delivery in the interest of the nation,” he said.
He said a productive, accountable and citizen-centred civil service would support the Federal Government’s ambition to build a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
Representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Ibrahim Kana, described wage governance as important to industrial harmony and economic stability.
Kana urged the commission to balance workers’ expectations with government revenue constraints and national development priorities.
He also called for improvements in research, data management, digital transformation and professional development to strengthen the commission’s performance.
“The resolutions reached should translate into an actionable institutional plan with defined timelines, effective monitoring mechanisms and periodic assessments of progress,” he said.
Kana urged the commission to maintain constructive engagement with ministries, departments and agencies, organised labour and other stakeholders to build trust and reduce avoidable industrial disputes.
He said the retreat’s success would depend on the implementation of its recommendations, rather than the discussions alone.
The three-day meeting is expected to address wage governance, compensation management, job evaluation, public finance, industrial harmony and institutional effectiveness.
THE ISSUES
Wage policy requires a balance between workers’ purchasing power, fair remuneration and the government’s ability to meet public expenditure commitments. The commission’s proposed reforms focus on evidence-based decisions, institutional capacity and engagement with labour stakeholders to improve wage administration and reduce industrial disputes.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“What the Nigerian worker earns is not a technical footnote; it touches every home, every market and every budget in this country,” – Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas, Secretary to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, said.
“The resolutions reached should translate into an actionable institutional plan with defined timelines, effective monitoring mechanisms and periodic assessments of progress,” – Ibrahim Kana, Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, said.
WHAT’S NEXT
The retreat is expected to produce an institutional action plan outlining priorities, assigned responsibilities, implementation timelines and measurable outcomes. The commission’s Monitoring and Evaluation Division is expected to track progress.
BOTTOM LINE
The NSIWC is seeking stronger wage governance through sustainable policies, reliable data, institutional reforms and social dialogue to improve workers’ welfare while taking account of government finances.
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