News

Minimum Wage: Implementation ’ll Commence Soon -Buhari …As Labour Blasts FG Over Debt Profile

Published

7 years ago

June 28, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday assured Nigerian workers that implementation of the new minimum wage of N30, 000 will commence soon.
President Buhari has also asked state governments and employers in the private sector to work towards providing a living wage for their workers.
Speaking at the 11th Triennial Delegates Conference of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, of Nigeria, the President who was represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha enthused that the nation’s economy was expected to grow by 2.7 percent in 2019 as a result of several reforms embarked upon by the government.
President Buhari urged state government and the private sector to implement the minimum wage as a way of encouraging workers to contribute to the development of the country, adding that his government will continue to pay particular attention to the welfare of workers.
Stressing that giant efforts had been made in building solid foundation for the country since he took in 2015, he said, “these efforts have begun to yield results. The Economy is making a steady progress and our GDP is expected to grow by 2.7 percent this year. Our external reserve has risen to $45 billion and can finance a number of our foreign commitments.
“With the steps taken to integrate rural economies to the national grid, provide credits and inputs to rural farmers and micro-businesses as well as providing the enabling environment for business in Nigeria, our people will be liberated from the shackles of poverty.
“We will try to create 10 million jobs yearly to continue to boost our economy and make life better for our people.
“Our government will continue to improve on our New Development Plans and initiatives. We will concentrate on Agriculture, Education, Power and other infrastructure, manufacturing and social intervention schemes. We will promote good governance and fight corruption to a stand still.
“This government will continue to build institutions and machineries to fight corruption. If we don’t kill corruption now, we will not have a country to handover to our unborn generation. Hence the need for everyone to be involved in this fight to finish.
“My administration believes in the welfare of workers and that is why we have signed the Minimum Wage bill into law and implementation is underway. l employ both the state governments and the private sector to give their workers a decent living wage to encourage workers to contribute more to our economy.
“The Federal Government acknowledges the collaborative support it has received from the Labour Union, especially the TUC, since the inception of this administration. Members of this Union participated actively in developing the drafting of the various policy documents that have led to the development of roadmaps in the country.
“Members of the Union are also involved in several aspects of the implementation of the road maps. It is the belief of government that the synergy and collaboration will be strengthened as we move forward.
“The Executive arm of government is committed to having a smooth and good working relationship with the Labour Unions in Nigeria as we go higher.”
He expressed concern over the level of insecurity in the country, but assured that the government was working hard to defeat all acts of insecurity in the country including terrorism, kidnapping as well as farmer/herders clashes.
The President who stated that the security challenges in the country was not insurmountable, assured that his government remained committed to making Nigeria a better place and is “mapping out policies, measures and laws to maintain our unity and at the same time lift the bulk of our people out of poverty and on the road to prosperity.
“The security challenges we are currently facing are not unsurmountable. I can report that we are meeting these challenges with much greater support to the security forces in terms of funding equipment and improved local intellegence.
“We are meeting these challenges with superior strategy, firepower and resolve. I can assure you that we will win the war against terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and farmers-headers clashes.”
In his address, President of the TUC, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama said the story of Nigeria has degenerated to the level of anarchy and absurdity as hardly a day passes without new killings through assassination, kidnapping, and suicide bombing.
Kaigama said the level of insecurity appeared to have overwhelmed the nation’s security forces, adding that “nowhere is safe now including the home state of the President and the Minister of Defence.”
The TUC boss called on leaders in the country to do the needful, stressing that their primary responsibility was to protect lives and secure property of the citizens.
He lamented that the Nigerian economy was in dire strait, adding, “regrettably, those who should manage it are not showing promising signs on how to fix it. Nigeria’s debt profile is over N24.3 trillion. It was reported recently that government wants to borrow more.
“Borrowing in itself is not a bad thing, the issue is what do you borrow for? Countries borrow for capital projects and not to pay salaries. If we cannot bequeath to our children why burden them with crazy debt? It is irresponsible of any parent to do such.
“Comrades, why can’t we know the number of barrels of crude we refine? Is it a rocket science to publish how much we make from oil, why should individuals mine our solid minerals in Zamfara, Plateau etc? With what the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, NIPOST, NNPC, NIMASA, NAPIMS and the monies recovered by EFCC and ICPC, Nigeria should not be borrowing.”
On unemployment, he said,” Comrades, the danger posed by unemployment and poverty to our peaceful existence and development is glaring by everyone to see.”
Kaigama also expressed concern over the level of corruption in the country, pointing out that perpetrators of corruption were divising new tactics daily to evade being caught while cronyism, ethnicity and religion has deflated efforts to redeem the country.
He said, “The history of corruption in our country is absurd. The more you fight, the more perpetrators device new means. They can divert anything but cannot ‘divert’ the country out of poverty.
“Cronyism, ethnicity and religion most times deflate the effort to redeem the country. There is no sincerity of purpose in the struggles. The best form of governance would abhor corruption same way a corrupt administration would not be interested in promoting good governance. “
He asked government to improve on the nation’s operating environment to ensure the smooth running of the economy, pointing out that the manufacturing sector has not made any significant progress in the first quarters of 2019.
He maintained that further decline in the components that makes economies viable can lead to further job losses and increase poverty in the country, adding that the country cannot continue to watch politicians midwife the nation’s national development planning into extinction.
According to him, “How can we talk about development when national budgets are passed in the middle of the year? It will definitely have a consequential effect on the national economy and investors’ interest. If we cannot follow laudable policies, then we cannot be said to have begun our pursuit for a better society. The delegates’ conference is expected to produce a new leadership for the congress.
Meanwhile, Bobboi Kaigama, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has expressed worry over the increasing rate of inflation and the country’s debt profile.
At the opening of its Triennial National Delegates Conference in Abuja, Kaigama said it was a matter for regret that little efforts were being made to solve the issue.
According to him, with the country’s current debt profile still at N24.3 trillion, efforts must be geared towards ending borrowing and looking inwards for self-sufficiency.
“Our economy is in dire strait, regrettably, those who should manage it are not showing promising signs on how to fix it. Nigeria’s debt profile is over N24.3 trillion, it was reported recently that government wants to borrow more.
“Borrowing in itself is not a bad thing; the issue is what do you borrow for. Countries borrow for capital projects, and not to pay salaries if we cannot bequeath wealth to our children, why burden them with debts.’’
Kaigama said with the rate of inflation standing between 11.28 and 11.44 per cent for goods and services, there was an adverse effect on purchasing power for citizens, calling on the CBN and the federal government to ensure smooth running of the economy.
He also decried the secrecy surrounding crude oil refinery in the country, noting that adequate information should be available to Nigerians on both the internally and externally generated earnings.
He said with revenues generated from the Federal Inland Revenue service, NIPOST, NNPC, NIMASA, and those recovered by the EFCC and the ICPC, the country has no business borrowing.
The Vice-Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Prof. Suleiman Mohammed, while commending the TUC and its affiliates at promoting the rights of workers, urged them to continue in unity and solidarity.
Mohammed, who delivered a lecture with the theme, “Labour and Nation Building, The Place of Labour in National Politics’’, said the role of the organisedlabour cannot be over flogged with an overall goal to unsettle the ruling class.
According to him, the political and elected leaders in all tiers of government have continued to use the instruments of the state to disempower workers, calling for more political consciousness to promote their rights.
While commending labour unions for playing a monumental role in nation building, the vice chancellor said they must continue to promote industrial justice and fight for the protection of workers’ interest in all tiers of government.
He also called for the involvement of workers in policy formulation and implementation, calling for strengthened collaboration and unity to promote significant roles in checking and influencing government policies and programmes.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Williams Alo, commended the support of the organisedlabour in improving lives of Nigerian workers, expressing hope that the new leadership of the union would strengthen the already existing partnership.
Alo pledged the commitment of the federal government to continue to be a dependable ally towards improving the welfare of workers and other Nigerians.
He said various government social intervention programmes targeted at reducing youth unemployment and eradicating poverty have been implemented by the administration.
NLC President, Dr AyubaWabba, stressed the need to address the global imbalance where more people live below poverty line in spite of the growing global wealth, saying it was more worrisome in Nigeria.
Wabba said the role of unity of purpose cannot be overemphasised in trade unionism, saying it was only through this that workers’ demands are met.
“The rules cannot be changed through wishful thinking, our leaders must be instigated to promote the rights of Nigerian workers.’’

News

Military Shake-Up: NAF Redeploys Senior Officers, Appoints New Commanders

Published

3 days ago

November 9, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Air Force has approved a major shake-up of its senior leadership, involving fresh appointments and postings across its operational commands, strategic institutions and Defence Headquarters.

The exercise, approved by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, on November 7, 2026, is aimed at strengthening command effectiveness, enhancing institutional capacity and sustaining operational readiness.

In a statement yesterday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the appointments covered Service Headquarters, operational commands, training institutions and other strategic establishments.

The statement partly read, “The NAF has approved a major strategic realignment of its senior leadership through a fresh round of postings and appointments designed to strengthen command effectiveness, enhance institutional capacity and sustain operational readiness in support of national security objectives.

“The exercise, approved by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, on 7 November 2026, takes effect from November 2026.

“The appointments span Service Headquarters, operational commands, Defence Headquarters, training institutions and other strategic establishments, reflecting a deliberate effort to align leadership competencies and professional experience with the Service’s evolving operational and institutional priorities.”

At the NAF Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal AK Ademuwagun was appointed Chief of Transformation and Innovation, while AVM IV Ajiboye became Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation.

Other appointments include AVM PN Amadi as Chief of Air Intelligence; AVM NN Ananaba as Chief of Operations; AVM AH Bakari as Air Provost Marshal; AVM EE Efiom as Chief of Training; and AVM AJ Laoye as Chief of Aircraft Engineering.

The Air Force also appointed AVM NI Ilo as Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command; AVM BR Mamman as AOC, Mobility Command; AVM OS Ogunsina as AOC, Logistics Command; AVM MN Onyebashi as AOC, Special Operations Command; and AVM FCS Nwakara as AOC, Ground Training Command.

At the institutional level, AVM PB Philips was appointed Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, while AVM MC Ekwueme became Commandant of the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre.

Similarly, AVM AO Akinbunwa was appointed Commandant of the Air Force War College, while AVM OC Ubadike became Commandant of the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Other appointments include AVM AI Sambo as Commandant of the Nigerian Air Force College of Logistics and Management, and AVM M Yusuf as Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

At the Defence Headquarters, AVM UK Abdullahi was appointed Director of Defence Operations, while AVM EOE Ebiowe was posted to the Office of the National Security Adviser as Deputy Coordinator, National Intelligence.

Also, AVM DDG Pwajok was appointed Director of Technical Services at the Defence Intelligence Agency, while AVM I Sani became Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence.

Other senior officers were posted to various directorates at the Defence Headquarters, including operations, military strategy, cyber operations, civil-military relations, search and rescue, special duties and joint warfare doctrine.

The appointments also affected the Defence Space Administration, where AVM AA Suleh was named Deputy Chief, while AVM OA Oyename and AVM SS Lazarus were appointed Directors of Earth Observation and Launch Vehicles and Space Operations, respectively.

Furthermore, AVM GI Jibia was appointed Deputy Force Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, while AVM JI Ukeh became Commander of the Nigerian Air Defence Corps.

The statement said the exercise was part of efforts to strengthen leadership renewal, institutional accountability and operational effectiveness across the service.

According to the CAS, the professional competence and wealth of experience of the newly appointed officers would advance his command philosophy and strengthen the Air Force’s capacity to deliver decisive airpower effects in support of joint operations and national security objectives.

“All affected officers are expected to assume their new appointments and complete the necessary handover and takeover formalities on or before November 13, 2026,” the statement concluded.

News

SERAP Demands Details Of FG’s N50,000 Relief Payments

Published

3 days ago

November 9, 2026

The Tide

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Federal Government to disclose details of the funding, implementation and administration of its N50,000 National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention.

The organisation asked the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, to provide information on beneficiary selection, payments, contracts with digital financial service providers and safeguards against political interference.

SERAP made the demand in a Freedom of Information request dated November 7, 2026, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

The request followed the ministry’s October 30 announcement of the NERSI programme, which is intended to provide N50,000 in financial assistance to vulnerable Nigerians.

SERAP said important questions remained unanswered about the programme’s total funding, geographical coverage, duration and the methodology for selecting beneficiaries from the National Social Register and verified national identity records.

It urged the minister to disclose budgetary allocations, funds released and expended, eligibility criteria, beneficiary verification processes and the geographical distribution of recipients.

The organisation also asked the ministry to clarify whether the N50,000 assistance was a one-off payment or a monthly intervention, noting that the ministry’s public statement described it as a monthly payment, while a subsequent frequently asked questions document did not clearly specify the frequency or duration.

In the request, SERAP said, “Nigerians have a right to know how public funds allocated to NERSI are being spent, who is receiving the assistance, how beneficiaries are selected and whether the programme is reaching those most in need.”

The organisation raised concerns about possible political interference in the programme, particularly ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Publicly funded social assistance must be allocated strictly on the basis of genuine need and objective eligibility criteria. It must not be used to reward political supporters, secure partisan loyalty, finance political mobilisation or influence the electoral choices of vulnerable Nigerians, particularly ahead of the 2027 general elections,” it said.

SERAP further insisted that beneficiaries should not be required to attend political rallies, support candidates or display political materials as a condition for receiving the assistance.

“Beneficiaries must not be required or encouraged to attend political rallies, support political parties or candidates, display political materials or demonstrate political loyalty as a condition for receiving assistance. NERSI is a government programme funded with public resources, not a personal gift or political benefit from any office-holder or political party,” the organisation stated.

It also urged the minister to publicly invite the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to monitor the programme’s implementation and expenditure, investigate allegations of corruption and help ensure that funds reach intended beneficiaries.

SERAP expressed concern over reports that some Nigerians who received notifications of the N50,000 assistance had been unable to access or withdraw the funds, while others reportedly received messages indicating that they were ineligible.

“These reports raise questions about the accuracy of beneficiary verification, the reliability of payment arrangements and the effectiveness of mechanisms for resolving failed or disputed payments,” it said.

The organisation urged the ministry to investigate the complaints, publish its findings and ensure that all eligible beneficiaries received the assistance.

It also asked the government to disclose agreements with the digital financial service providers engaged to administer the payments, including ALAT, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.

SERAP requested details of the providers’ roles, fees and performance, as well as information on how beneficiaries’ personal data would be protected.

“The use of the National Social Register and national identity records to identify beneficiaries must be governed by clear rules and appropriate data-protection safeguards. The Ministry should disclose how these records are being used and ensure that beneficiaries’ personal information is protected, while making anonymised and aggregated information available for public scrutiny,” it said.

The group further asked the ministry to publish anonymised information showing the number of beneficiaries and the amounts paid or scheduled for payment in each state and local government area.

It also sought records of any involvement of political actors in beneficiary selection, payments, access to beneficiary databases and the use of public resources to promote the programme.

To strengthen accountability, SERAP cited concerns raised by the Auditor-General of the Federation in the 2024 Annual Report regarding more than N78.8bn in public funds allegedly diverted or unaccounted for in the administration of social intervention and cash transfer programmes.

It also referred to concerns over N33.751bn in cash transfers made in 2023 for which relevant REMITA records and other supporting documents were reportedly not provided for audit.

“These findings underscore the importance of adequate financial controls, proper record-keeping, independent verification and effective oversight from the outset of the new intervention,” SERAP said.

The organisation said the information requested would enable Nigerians to assess whether the programme was reaching eligible beneficiaries and whether public funds were being properly accounted for.

It added, “Disclosure would also strengthen public confidence in social protection programmes and help ensure that resources intended for vulnerable Nigerians are used for their intended purposes.”

SERAP gave the minister seven days from receipt or publication of the letter to provide the requested information and take the proposed measures.

It warned that it would consider legal action to compel the ministry and other relevant authorities to fulfil their constitutional and statutory obligations if they failed to respond within the stipulated period.

News

Tinubu Didn’t Borrow ?120trn In Three Years, Presidency Replies Opposition

Published

3 days ago

November 9, 2026

The Tide

The Presidency has dismissed as misleading claims that President Bola Tinubu borrowed ?120 trillion in just three years while also removing the fuel subsidy.

In a statement posted on X yesterday, Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, described the figures as the product of “Opposition’s propaganda machines.”

He said the claim that 16 past Nigerian leaders borrowed a combined ?46 trillion over 63 years, while Tinubu borrowed ?120 trillion in three years, does not reflect the full picture.

“Opposition’s propaganda machines claim that in 63 years, 16 past Nigerian leaders borrowed ?46 trillion combined, while President Tinubu borrowed ?120 trillion in just 3 years and still removed the fuel subsidy.

“But in reality, the ?46 trillion figure from late 2022 hid ?22.7 trillion in Central Bank ‘Ways and Means’ overdrafts that weren’t officially put on the books until May 2023,” Olusegun stated.

He added that earlier calculations converted foreign debt using an artificial exchange rate of ?448 to $1, when the street value was over ?700.

“When the exchange rate was unified in June 2023, the exact same dollar debt instantly looked ?13.4 trillion larger on paper overnight without a single new dollar being borrowed.”

In actual dollar terms, he said, Nigeria’s public debt rose from $113.4 billion in June 2023 to $120.9 billion by June 2026 — an increase of only $7.5 billion.

On the fuel subsidy, Olusegun noted that its removal had boosted monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee funds shared to states and local governments from ?656 billion in April 2023 to ?2.4 trillion by September 2026.

The claims being rebutted originated from a viral social media graphic that compared cumulative borrowing under previous administrations with the Tinubu government’s record and highlighted the subsidy removal.

Fact-checkers have described the graphic as misleading because the ?46 trillion figure represented outstanding debt at the end of 2022 rather than total borrowing by 16 leaders over 63 years, and because it did not adequately account for exchange-rate effects or the formal recognition of previously off-book obligations.

Nigeria’s total public debt stood at approximately ?87.38 trillion (about $113.4 billion) in June 2023, shortly after Tinubu took office.

By June 2026 it had risen to about ?166.79 trillion ($120.93 billion), according to Debt Management Office figures.

A large part of the naira increase stemmed from the 2023 naira float and the securitisation of Ways and Means advances inherited from the previous administration.

The latest rebuttal comes after Tinubu asked the Senate to approve the implementation of a $7.7bn external borrowing plan to part-finance the 2026 budget deficit.

The request, which translates to about N10.79tn at the budget exchange rate of N1,400 to the dollar, was conveyed in a letter read by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during Wednesday’s plenary.

The request replaced an earlier approval for $20.52bn and €1.045bn borrowings that the President had asked the Senate and the House of Representatives for a week earlier.

However, opposition parties, including the Nigeria Democratic Congress, criticized the request, citing concerns about the country’s rising debt burden and its implications for future generations.