The mere mention of the word “incentive”, brings  to mind, things that motivate or encourage someone to do something or more of what he does. It is synonymous with words such as inducement, stimulus, motivation etc. In short, incentives are payments or concession to stimulate greater output or investment.
In some quarters, a regular and prompt payment of a worker’s wage could serve as a worthy incentive.   In other clime, monetary gift provided to an employee based on performance, could be considered a way to entice the employee to continue delivering positive results.
The discretion of what could be good enough to serve as a motivational device for a desired  action or behaviour remains the employer’s. But ultimately, they are tools managers or employers of labour use to encourage productivity.  Suffice it to say that the study of incentive is central to economic activities.
Thus, only stagnant  entrepreneurs or employers would refuse  to adopt incentive plan, as only such could have the advantage of seeing their bottom line rise in direct proportion to overall output.
However, it only takes a manager who appreciates the worth of his assets to treasure same. No worthy farmer would see the importance of his implement and refuses to  sharpen  it for better performance. Same  goes to  many  employers of labour in Nigeria.
Many of them have failed not because they did not have  the  money to grow their business but because they either did not know how to use their  workers for better results,  or they  refused to acknowledge  them as the greatest assets at their disposal.
In his salute of Nigerian workers over their  resilience amid tough  economic challenges,  Chairman, Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba,  said, “workers the world over,  are undoubtedly  the greatest assets of every nation”.
In the  same vein, as Nigerian workers joined the global comradeship  to commemorate  this year’s May Day, the President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, described Nigerian workers as pillars and driving force of the nation.
I believe the duo did not pass their remarks on grounds of flattery, but in acknowledgement of the human capital as the bedrock upon which development revolves and thrives.
Apart from verbal applause, those who acknowledge the worth of their  workers as  their greatest asset,  appreciate them periodically.      From regular  appraisal that leads to promotion and increase in wage, training programs, oversee tours, to prompt payment of wages, the worker sees an enabling environment to work.
This is why administrators and managers of human  resources who crave for success in their callings, invest highly in human capital  in recognition of their unquantifiable  role towards the well-being   of the organisation or society that employs their services.
From the small and medium enterprises that contribute over 47 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), to the civil servants who are  the engine room of the government, down to the unregistered business owners who work to make living for themselves and their families, it is difficult to quantify their contributions to the sustainability of the nation’s economy. Their efforts, therefore, can only be appreciated by creating an investment as well as  work friendly atmosphere that will bring out the best in them. This measure will also go a long way to create industrial harmony.
The Nigerian worker is faced with the challenge of a rather depreciating  salary in the  face of  a rising cost of living in the country. His  morale is further dampened by the mere  thought of the rigours of processing his retirement documents and the fear of  not having his pension and gratuity paid as at  when due.  Because of the inability of his employer to implement his incremental in the course of his job, he sees  no  enthusiasm  in his job.
Luckily,  the Federal Government recently raised the  hope of Nigerian workers with the recommendation of a 29-member minimum wage committee that will work out modalities for a new minimum  wage that would bring relief to the workforce. Recall that this same committee was set up a year ago with no tangible result so far. However, it is hoped that something concrete comes out of the new committee.
There is no doubt that it is the workers’  contribution to the economy that keeps the nation moving forward. They are the life wire of the country. Therefore, if Nigerian workers be seen as the goose that lays the golden egg, then they deserve  better treatment.

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi