Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has cited a planned N36bn payment to former aviation workers and a new salary structure for Nigerian Meteorological Agency employees as examples of President Bola Tinubu’s interventions on workers’ welfare.
Keyamo spoke in Abuja on Monday while receiving the Nigeria Civil Service Union’s (NCSU) Shield Award on behalf of Tinubu as part of activities marking the union’s 114th anniversary.
The minister said the N36bn payment to former aviation workers had reached its final stage, while the new NiMet salary structure was approved to resolve a relativity dispute that had lasted more than 15 years.
According to him, NiMet workers had been poorly paid despite performing functions similar to those of other employees in the aviation industry.
Keyamo said the President approved the new salary structure and ordered the immediate release of funds after the matter was brought to his attention.
He also said the 2024 minimum wage law reduced the statutory review period from five years to three years, paving the way for negotiations on a new minimum wage in 2027.
The minister said his administration in the aviation sector would continue to prioritise workers’ welfare, arguing that employees should not be neglected while senior management enjoyed unnecessary benefits.
The Shield Award, described by the union as its highest honour, was presented to Tinubu in recognition of what the organisation called his commitment to Nigerian workers.
The union’s National President, Oluwole Sunday, said the President’s interventions had improved morale in the civil service and demonstrated concern for workers’ welfare.
Keyamo, who was also recognised by the union for his solidarity with the workforce, received the award at Merit House, Abuja.
“I got an invitation from the oldest trade union in Nigeria. You don’t understand, the oldest trade union, the trade union that confronted the British colonialists, is still standing on its feet today. That is the union you see here. I am excited because this is the oldest trade union in Nigeria, and you are still doing what you ought to do for the workers,” he said.
The presentation was attended by the union’s immediate past president, Lawrence Ameachi; Chairman of its Federal Council, Adoga Gupada; and Assistant General Secretary, Yildet Bigwan.
The NCSU has 84 affiliates and a history spanning more than a century.
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