By Annette Ikponmwonba | November 12th, 2026
KEYPOINTS
• The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has demanded a ₦300,000 monthly minimum wage for federal workers.
• The union says the current ₦70,000 minimum wage is no longer sufficient amid rising economic hardship.
• ASCSN urged the Federal Government to review salaries without waiting for the next statutory minimum wage negotiation.
• The association also demanded payment of outstanding promotion arrears, allowances and retirement benefits.
• Labour Minister Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi called for dialogue and stronger cooperation between the government and organised labour.
MAIN STORY
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has demanded that the Federal Government increase the monthly minimum wage for federal workers to ₦300,000, citing rising economic hardship and the declining purchasing power of workers, The National President of ASCSN, Comrade Shehu Mohammed, made the demand on Thursday during the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, Mohammed argued that the current national minimum wage of ₦70,000 could no longer guarantee a decent standard of living for Nigerian workers.
He urged the government to move beyond temporary palliatives and wage awards by implementing a sustainable salary increase that reflects prevailing economic realities, According to him, temporary interventions cannot provide lasting solutions to the financial difficulties facing workers.
The labour leader also criticised the government’s failure to fully implement previous relief packages, particularly the 2023 wage awards, saying this had weakened workers’ confidence in temporary measures, He therefore urged the Federal Government not to wait until the next statutory minimum wage negotiation cycle before reviewing workers’ salaries.
“Rather than waiting until the next statutory minimum wage negotiation cycle, we demand that the Federal Government should act immediately by raising the salary of its lowest-paid worker to ₦300,000, with appropriate consequential adjustments across higher salary grade levels,” he said.
Mohammed also called for the settlement of outstanding promotion arrears, peculiar allowances and retirement benefits under the Contributory Pension Scheme, Responding, Dingyadi called for stronger cooperation between the Federal Government and organised labour, urging both sides to embrace dialogue and collaboration in addressing workers’ welfare.
The minister maintained that disagreements between the government and labour unions should be resolved through constructive engagement rather than strikes and prolonged confrontations, “Government listens, Labour speaks, and together we find solutions that work for workers and for the nation,” he said.
THE ISSUES
Demand for ₦300,000 Minimum Wage
ASCSN wants the Federal Government to increase the minimum monthly salary for its lowest-paid worker from ₦70,000 to ₦300,000, The association said the proposed adjustment should also include consequential increases across higher salary grade levels.
Rising Cost of Living
The union argued that the existing minimum wage can no longer provide workers with a decent standard of living amid economic hardship, It called for a lasting salary adjustment rather than temporary financial relief.
Outstanding Workers’ Benefits
Beyond the proposed wage increase, ASCSN demanded the payment of outstanding promotion arrears, peculiar allowances and retirement benefits under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Government-Labour Relations
The Labour Minister urged organised labour and the Federal Government to strengthen cooperation and resolve disagreements through dialogue rather than industrial action.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
ASCSN President Shehu Mohammed said workers needed an immediate salary review to reflect current economic conditions, He argued that the government should not delay action until the next statutory minimum wage negotiation, Minister Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, however, emphasised the importance of constructive engagement between government and labour, saying both sides should work together to find solutions to workers’ concerns.
WHAT’S NEXT
The demand now puts pressure on the Federal Government to consider the proposed salary increase and address the outstanding benefits raised by the association, Further discussions between the government and organised labour may determine how the demands are addressed.
BOTTOM LINE
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria is demanding a ₦300,000 minimum wage for federal workers, arguing that the current ₦70,000 rate is no longer sufficient amid economic hardship. The Federal Government has been urged to address workers’ concerns through dialogue and collaboration.
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