In a bold display of frustration, hundreds of workers under the Federal Ministry of Finance staged a protest at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on May 19, 2025, demanding immediate action on unpaid welfare benefits and improved working conditions. The demonstration, which disrupted operations, highlights deepening discontent among civil servants amid Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The protesters, primarily members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), gathered at the ministry’s entrance, chanting slogans and wielding placards. They accused the government of neglecting allowances, including housing and transport subsidies, unpaid for over 18 months, affecting 5,000 workers. The ASCSN President, Shehu Mohammed, stated that the ministry owed ₦3.2 billion in arrears, with some workers receiving only 60% of their entitled benefits since 2023. The workers also demanded the implementation of a 40% peculiar allowance approved in 2022, which remains stalled, impacting morale in a sector critical to Nigeria’s fiscal policy.
The protest follows similar actions in 2024, when finance workers picketed over delayed promotions, with 70% of staff overdue for advancement, per union records. Nigeria’s inflation, at 33.8% in April 2025, has eroded purchasing power, with the ₦70,000 minimum wage insufficient for 80% of civil servants, per a 2024 Lagos study. The workers rejected claims of budget constraints, noting the ministry’s 2025 allocation of ₦1.2 trillion, of which 15% was earmarked for personnel costs. Finance Minister Wale Edun, in a closed-door meeting, promised to address the arrears by June 2025, citing revenue shortfalls from oil production, which dropped to 1.3 million barrels daily, 20% below OPEC quotas.
Security personnel were deployed to prevent violence, and no arrests were reported. The ASCSN gave a seven-day ultimatum for action, threatening a nationwide strike that could paralyze 30 federal ministries. Analysts warn that unresolved grievances could exacerbate Nigeria’s 35% unemployment rate, with 40% of civil servants considering private-sector jobs. The protest underscores broader fiscal mismanagement concerns, as Nigeria’s debt servicing consumes 60% of revenue, per 2024 IMF data, limiting welfare funding.