NASU tasks governors on improving state workers’ welfare

Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has challenged state governors to translate increased government revenues into improved workers’ welfare, timely payment of salaries and pensions, and better public services.

The union said higher revenues accruing to state and local governments should be reflected in the living conditions of workers and ordinary Nigerians, rather than remain a fiscal gain without corresponding improvements in household welfare.

NASU President, Comrade (Dr.) Hassan Makolo, made the call in his presidential welcome address at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting holding at the NAF Officers and Suites, Abuja, on Tuesday.

ALSO READ: 2027: Court to rule on Atiku’s bid to amend Tinubu suit Nov 20

He said workers had every right to demand accountability for public funds, insisting that increased government revenues must produce tangible improvements in the quality of life of citizens.

“With increased revenues flowing to the States and Local Governments, workers have every right to demand accountability,” Makolo said.

He added: “Higher public revenues must be visible in better and timely salaries, improved schools and hospitals, good roads, clean water, decent infrastructure and stronger social services. Increased revenue without improved living conditions is not progress.”

The NASU president’s position comes amid renewed attention to how state governments are deploying additional resources following the Federal Government’s economic reforms.

Makolo said public resources should be managed transparently and directed towards the needs of the people, warning against a situation in which workers continue to endure economic hardship despite increased government revenues.

“Our position as NASU is clear: public resources belong to the people, and they must be deployed for the welfare of the people, not for the comfort and privilege of a few political office holders,” he said.

He maintained that government must provide clear and verifiable accounts of revenues and savings arising from subsidy reforms and other fiscal measures, adding that Nigerians deserved measurable social benefits in return for the economic sacrifices they had been compelled to make.

The union’s demand extends beyond the payment of salaries to the broader conditions affecting workers and their families, including the rising costs of food, transportation, housing, electricity, healthcare and education.

Makolo argued that economic reforms should be assessed by their impact on ordinary Nigerians rather than by revenue figures or economic indicators alone.

“The true measure of any economic reform is not the applause it receives in boardrooms, but the difference it makes in the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.

He also called for an urgent review of the N70,000 national minimum wage, arguing that rising living costs had significantly eroded workers’ purchasing power.

According to him, the current minimum wage can no longer adequately sustain many workers and their families amid increasing expenses on essential goods and services.

NASU therefore urged the Federal Government to begin the process of reviewing the national minimum wage and introduce periodic wage reviews and cost-of-living adjustments to protect workers’ earnings against inflation.

The union also called for affordable housing schemes, accessible mortgage arrangements and measures to protect workers against unreasonable rent increases.

On electricity, Makolo said workers should not be compelled to pay higher tariffs without corresponding improvements in power supply. He demanded universal metering, an end to arbitrary estimated billing and a tariff system that prioritises fairness and service delivery.

He further called for stronger social protection programmes for vulnerable Nigerians, insisting that such interventions should be transparent, adequately funded and treated as an integral part of national social policy rather than occasional political gestures.

The NASU president also expressed concern over unemployment, casualisation and the weakening of Nigeria’s productive base, calling for policies that promote industrial development, vocational training and the creation of secure, decent jobs.

He urged governments at all levels to strengthen public healthcare and education, improve infrastructure and ensure prompt payment of pensions and gratuities to retired workers.

Makolo also called for greater accountability in public borrowing and debt servicing, arguing that expenditure on debt obligations should be considered alongside the country’s pressing needs in education, healthcare, wages, pensions and essential public services.

As Nigeria approaches the 2027 political transition, he urged organised labour to make workers’ welfare a central issue in national political discourse.

He said political candidates and their programmes should be assessed against their commitments to living wages, decent employment, industrialisation, security, social protection and quality public services.

The NASU president called on members of the union’s NEC to remain united in defending workers’ rights and advancing their welfare, stressing that collective action and sustained engagement remained essential to achieving economic justice.

He maintained that workers deserved an economy in which public resources translated into decent living conditions, secure employment and improved access to essential services.