The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has demanded an immediate upward review of the federal minimum wage from ₦70,000 to ₦300,000, declaring that the current salary structure has become grossly inadequate to cope with Nigeria’s soaring cost of living.

The workers, in a letter dated September 2, 2026, addressed to President Bola Tinubu and key leaders of the National Assembly, also proposed a new salary structure that would raise the monthly pay of the highest-paid Level 17 officer to ₦1.5 million.

The letter was copied to the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, among other top government officials.

The forum said the proposed wage adjustment had become urgent as the prices of food, transportation, accommodation, electricity, cooking gas, data and other basic necessities continued to erode workers’ purchasing power.

“We call for justice and immediate wage review now, adjust the federal minimum wage to ₦300,000 and a maximum wage of ₦1.5m for the Level 17 officers,” the workers said.

The FWF also accused the Federal Government of failing to fully implement the 2024 minimum wage agreement, insisting that workers were yet to receive the full consequential adjustment and related allowances.

“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 forum said.

The workers recalled that the 2024 wage review increased the national minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, but alleged that federal civil servants effectively received only a uniform ₦40,000 adjustment across salary levels.

Under the new proposal, Level 1 Step 1 workers would earn ₦300,000 monthly, while Level 2 would receive ₦330,000; Level 3, ₦360,000; Level 4, ₦390,000; Level 5, ₦420,000; Level 6, ₦450,000; and Level 7, ₦480,000.

The proposed structure further puts Level 8 at ₦510,000, Level 9 at ₦550,000, Level 10 at ₦600,000, Level 12 at ₦700,000, Level 13 at ₦750,000, Level 14 at ₦800,000, Level 15 at ₦1 million, Level 16 at ₦1.2 million and Level 17 at ₦1.5 million.

Beyond basic salaries, the workers demanded payment of outstanding salaries, promotion arrears and other accumulated entitlements.

They also called for the immediate implementation and payment of arrears of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance, as well as the introduction of a permanent Cost of Living Allowance to cushion workers against rising inflation.

The forum further demanded family support allowances, an end to career stagnation in the civil service, comprehensive health insurance for serving workers and pensioners, car and housing loan schemes, improved pension benefits and free education for the children of workers and pensioners in federal institutions.

The FWF warned that federal workers were increasingly turning to microfinance institutions and digital loan platforms to meet basic household needs, describing the situation as unsustainable.

It therefore urged the National Assembly to prevail on President Tinubu to approve the wage review before July 2027, when the statutory three-year review of the minimum wage would ordinarily become due.

The workers argued that waiting until 2027 would further worsen their financial hardship and deepen the erosion of their living standards.