NSIWC Calls for Sustainable Wage Policies, Institutional Reforms

The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) has called for sustainable wage policies, stronger institutions and improved social dialogue to promote workers’ welfare.
The commission’s Chairman, retired Maj.-Gen. Junaid Bindawa, made the call at the opening of its board and management retreat in Abuja.
Bindawa said wage administration remains critical to national economic management, workers’ welfare, public expenditure, industrial relations and productivity.
He said changing economic conditions, inflationary pressures and rising labour expectations made evidence-based and sustainable wage policies imperative.
“The commission must continually strengthen its capacity to provide credible research, reliable data, objective analysis and well-considered recommendations to support government decisions,” he said.
Bindawa said wage policies must balance workers’ legitimate expectations with productivity, social justice and the government’s financial capacity.
He said the retreat should produce a practical roadmap with clear priorities, measurable outcomes and implementable actions.
The chairman also called for stronger collaboration between the board and management, improved internal systems and greater use of digital and data-driven approaches.
Similarly, the Secretary to the Commission, Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas, said the retreat would strengthen the institution’s capacity to advise government on national incomes policy and public sector remuneration.
She said the commission’s mandate required wage decisions to be guided by evidence rather than emergencies.
“What the Nigerian worker earns is not a technical footnote; it touches every home, every market and every budget in this country,” she said.
Okoya-Thomas noted that the 2024 national minimum wage demonstrated that economic reforms and concern for workers’ welfare could advance together.
She said the retreat would examine wage data, fair remuneration, fiscal realities, social dialogue and the commission’s institutional capacity.
According to her, participants will develop an action plan that aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria Agenda 2050 and the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2027 to 2030.
She said the plan would contain clear priorities, responsibilities, timelines and measurable outcomes, while the commission’s Monitoring and Evaluation Division would track implementation.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Olumuyiwa Abel, said civil service reforms were essential to improving public administration and supporting Nigeria’s economic ambitions.
Abel said his office and the commission had complementary mandates in promoting workers’ welfare and advancing public service development.
He also said his office prioritised workers’ welfare, capacity development and the digitalisation of government workflows.
“The civil service of today is being repositioned, re-energised and repackaged to rise to the occasion and ensure effective service delivery in the interest of the nation,” he said.
Abel added that an efficient, productive, incorruptible and citizen-centred civil service would support the Federal Government’s ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
He expressed confidence that the reforms would improve public service delivery and contribute to national development.
Representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Ibrahim Kana, said wage governance was vital to industrial harmony and economic stability.
Kana said the commission must balance workers’ expectations with government revenue realities and broader national development priorities.
He urged the commission to strengthen research, data management, digital transformation and professional development to improve its performance.
“The resolutions reached should translate into an actionable institutional plan with defined timelines, effective monitoring mechanisms and periodic assessments of progress,” he said.
Kana urged the commission to sustain constructive engagement with ministries, departments and agencies, organised labour and other stakeholders to build trust and prevent avoidable industrial disputes.
He said the retreat’s success would depend on the effective implementation of its recommendations rather than the quality of discussions alone.
The permanent secretary encouraged the board and management to focus on practical strategies, clear responsibilities and measurable results.
The three-day retreat is expected to examine wage governance, compensation management, job evaluation, public finance, industrial harmony and institutional effectiveness.
Participants are expected to develop strategies to strengthen the commission’s institutional capacity and improve its contribution to national wage policy and governance.