Anxiety is mounting across Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service as workers in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) protest unexplained salary reductions, unpaid arrears and the continued absence of official pay slips.
Investigations reveal that civil servants in several MDAs have endured months of shrinking take-home pay, delayed allowances and long-standing promotion arrears, triggering anger and deep frustration within the system.
Affected workers in the Federal Ministries of Information; Labour and Employment; Agriculture; and Education, as well as agencies under them including the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and the Nigerian Television Authority, said their salaries have steadily declined without any formal explanation from authorities.
At the centre of the crisis is the non-issuance of pay slips since September 2025, leaving employees unable to verify deductions or understand the basis for the reductions in their monthly earnings.
Many workers described the situation as unprecedented, noting that some state governments now pay higher wages than the Federal Government — a development observers say has never occurred under Nigeria’s minimum wage framework.
Labour sources warned that the silence from government officials is fuelling suspicion and could spark widespread industrial unrest if urgent steps are not taken.
Beyond salary reductions, workers are also lamenting the non-payment of three months’ wage award arrears, which were introduced to cushion the impact of economic hardship. Civil servants say the arrears remain unpaid despite repeated assurances, worsening financial strain amid rising living costs.
Promotion arrears have further compounded the crisis. Officers promoted in 2023 reportedly received only partial payments in 2024, while those elevated in 2024 and 2025 are yet to receive any financial benefits tied to their new ranks. In some cases, senior officers are said to be earning the same salaries as their subordinates years after promotion.
Equally contentious is the non-payment of the 20 per cent weighing-in allowance since August 2024. Workers said the statutory allowance, which constitutes a significant portion of their earnings, has disappeared from payrolls without notice.
The 40 per cent Peculiar Allowance, calculated on basic salary and approved under former President Muhammadu Buhari, has also reportedly remained unpaid since July 2024, with accumulated arrears yet to be settled.
Sources within organised labour described the mood in federal offices as “volatile,” warning that morale has dropped to its lowest level in years.
“People cannot explain their salaries. Promotions mean nothing anymore, and allowances have vanished. The silence is troubling,” a senior civil servant said.
Workers are now demanding immediate transparency on salary deductions, the release of outstanding pay slips and prompt settlement of all arrears. They warned that failure to address the issues swiftly could cripple service delivery across the federal public service.
Efforts to obtain official comments from relevant authorities, including the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, were unsuccessful as calls and messages reportedly went unanswered.
