News

4 April 2020 - The Federal government of Nigeria has taken upon itself the task to guarantee health insurance to the health workers involved in the war against Covid-19, says Boss Mustafa, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. This plan of action came in after some workers expressed their dissatisfaction over the lack of welfare policies that guarantee their well-being as they place themselves in the line of fire.

In response to the pleas of the health workers, the government is also planning on implementing long-term life insurance benefits for these workers as a measure of preparedness. In a" grievous and unfortunate time such as this", the government has also urged businesses to not raise the prices of goods and services. Complete the survey about Work and Life during the Covid-19 pandemic

23 March 2020 - On account of the increasing Covid-19 cases, doctors in the Nigerian capital of Abuja have called off their strike which was initially a rebuke to irregularities in the salaries paid to the doctors. The strike was called off by the President of the Association of the Resident Doctors - Dr. Roland Aigbovo. The statement passed by Dr. Rolan Aigbovo that suspended the strike mentioned that this decision was taken to abide by the directive given to the Association of Resident Doctors by the President of the Medical Association of Nigeria, to help curb the pandemic situation. However, it also stated that the strike will commence if the demands for fair pay aren’t met by the 30th of April. Meanwhile, the federal government has also called upon retired nurses and doctors to aid with the situation. Complete our survey on life and work during the Covid-19 pandemic

3 March 2020 - Doctors in the Anambra State Hospitals in Nigeria have declared an indefinite strike on the grounds of inadequate pay,  demanding improved salaries, added incentives and remuneration. This marks the second time the doctors in the state went on a strike, the first being in 2011, where it went on for 13 months following the rejection of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure by the federal government. The strike in 2011 was called off after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the concerned parties that necessitated the state to review and revise salaries periodically, beginning from 50%  until 100% was achieved. The non-compliance of this MoU set off the current strikes where the group of doctors sang solidarity songs depicting their anger.  Check salaries in Nigeria!

27 February 2020 - In an attempt to curb child labour in Nigeria, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige has requested the help of the United States. According to the news report, the United States would be helping Nigeria by establishing schools and clinics in areas where child labour is on the rise. The ministry has also sought logistical assistance from the United States in terms of transport in order to inspect areas across the mainland for child labour. The assistance will also ensure that there are empowerment programmes across these areas where the tendency for children to work arises out of abject poverty.  Child Labour Laws in Nigeria

18 February 2020 - According to reports, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is seeking to have a downward review of the salaries that politicians are earning in Nigeria. This is being done mainly because the salaries have only been met with increments and furthering that would create more problems for the economy.  Additionally, the NLC insists that the salaries of politicians should be contingent upon the status and the well being of the national economy, which might also act as an added incentive. The Congress also brought to notice the non-adherence to the Audit report brought forth by the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF) citing that said non-adherence would be an act of impunity. High Tier Government salaries draining the economy of Nigeria! Take the salary survey!

3 February 2020 - Nigeria has taken steps towards reducing unemployment by providing vocational training to 140 individuals in tailoring and fashion. This was an initiative taken by the Ministry of Youth and Sports as a part of its National Youth Empowerment Programme.  As a part of the programme, people who enroll also get a startup grant of N150,000 after  completion. The Director of the Programme, Mr. Sunday Dare said that the programme is aimed at bettering  economic conditions not just through increasing employment and providing opportunities to those who enroll, but that this would also bring down crime rates . Careers in Nigeria

24 January 2020 - The Nigerian government will implement a zero-pay policy to workers in the tertiary institutions  if  employees don’t voluntarily enroll in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), news report says. The IPPIS is a government payment scheme that was launched to curb corruption in the tertiary institution sector. The tertiary institutions of the country that have received the zero-pay directive from the director of the IPPIS include polytechnic and federal colleges. The news report adds that the academic staff of these institutions have expressed their dissent towards this payment  policy by putting forth the argument that such a policy would compromise the autonomy of federal institutions. Zero-Pay policy introduced in Nigeria

21 January 2020 - Going beyond minimum wages, Nigeria aims to come up with a proper welfare package for its doctors to ensure that their migration to other countries is reduced. This accounts for the extremely low ratio of doctors to patients which currently stands at 1 to 6000. According to the news report, eight out of every ten doctors in Nigeria migrate to foreign countries - mostly because of remuneration, but there are several underlying reasons such as lack of medical equipment. Other reasons include safety concerns as well - the news report mentions instances of violence incited against medical practitioners. Additionally, the news report also cites government negligence as a reason for the non- replacement of doctors that get fired. What do doctors earn in Nigeria?

9 January 2020 - The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have called off their strike against Chevron Nigeria Limited, an oil and gas extraction company, after it re-employed the workers that weren’t given their entitled pay in December 2019. In the Ultimatum passed by NUPENG, they disclosed that Chevron Nigeria Limited had ordered its contractor - Cordeau Nigeria Limited - to sack the 32 workers on the grounds that they were a part of NUPENG. This, according to NUPENG, was a violation of the rights of the workers and abuse of labour laws and was sheer discrimination on the part of Chevron. What do oil workers earn in Nigeria?

8 January 2020 - Seyi Makinde, the state governor of Oyo, Nigeria has assured citizens working in the state government that everyone will receive the revised wage of N30,000. The state governor has also set up a committee to supervise the implementation of the same. Furthermore, the governor has also been given a permit by the state Head of Service, Mrs Ololade Agboola to conduct a Merit Award Day. This is expected to improve the performance, quality and efficiency of the government workers as the productivity and award system lets the workers know that they are being monitored.  Read more about Minimum Wages

16 December 2019 - Employees of the National Identity Management Commission in Nigeria have given an ultimatum stating that they will shut the Commission owing to the poor working conditions that they have been subjected to. Moreover, the employees are yet to receive outstanding payments and salaries from the management. According to News Agency  of Nigeria, the workers of the organisation had written to the federal government on the 8th of November whilst being backed by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria giving the Commission a 21-day notice to improve the working conditions. The Commission has failed to comply with the demands of the workers in the stipulated time frame, and has consequently failed to pay the 28-day relocation allowance as well. Health and Safety laws

12 December 2019 - The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) passed an ultimatum stating that all state governments must commence the payments of the revised national minimum wage of N30,000. As of 12 December 2019, only five states have implemented the revised national wage and 19 states are yet to comply with the minimum wage set by the federal government.  As a part of the ultimatum, the NLC has assured the state governments that non-compliance beyond 31 December 2019 with the revised national minimum wage will lead to dissonance related to industrial policies between the federal government and the state government. The federal government is also working with the organised sector and all the associated political parties to ensure that workers can enjoy these revised wages and the implementation is uniform throughout the country. Check Minimum Wages in Nigeria