By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

Christian leaders have welcomed the rescue of the abducted pupils, teachers and school officials from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State but insisted that the government must go beyond securing their freedom by ensuring their rehabilitation, strengthening security and ending the wave of kidnappings across the country.

The renewed call came as the Catholic Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other clerics urged authorities to provide medical care, trauma counselling and lasting protection for schools while intensifying efforts to free Nigerians still held by kidnappers and terrorists.

The rescued victims, numbering 46 according to CAN, regained their freedom on Friday after spending 56 days in captivity following the May 15 attack on Ahoro-Esiele community in Oriire Local Government Area, where heavily armed gunmen abducted pupils, teachers and the school principal.

In a statement issued in Ibadan, President of the Catholic Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin, described the release as a moment of thanksgiving but stressed that the victims’ return marked only the beginning of the healing process.

The bishops said the rescued children and teachers, having endured severe psychological trauma and harsh conditions, require comprehensive medical attention, counselling and deliberate reintegration support to enable them resume normal life.

While congratulating the Federal Government, Oyo State Government and security agencies for the successful rescue, the bishops maintained that the government must fulfil its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property by preventing a recurrence of such attacks.

They also appealed to journalists to respect the privacy of the rescued victims and avoid repeated interviews that could worsen their emotional trauma, while urging communities to remain vigilant and collaborate with local vigilante groups to keep criminals away.

Similarly, CAN expressed gratitude to God for preserving the lives of the victims and commended President Bola Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, security agencies, intelligence operatives, Amotekun Corps, local hunters and vigilantes for their coordinated efforts that secured the release.

CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, however, cautioned against limiting the celebration to the Oriire rescue, noting that many Nigerian families in states such as Borno and Niger were still awaiting the return of loved ones held by terrorists and bandits.

According to him, the successful rescue should renew national commitment towards securing the freedom of every Nigerian still in captivity, irrespective of region, ethnicity or religion.

He also urged governments, faith-based organisations and humanitarian agencies to work together in providing psychological support, medical care and rehabilitation for the rescued victims, stressing that schools must once again become places of learning rather than fear.

Meanwhile, Christian clerics from different denominations have identified national unity and sustained prayers as critical to overcoming Nigeria’s worsening insecurity and socio-economic challenges.

Speaking during the 2nd Annual Harvest Thanksgiving Service of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide, Rehoboth Chapel of Glory International, Dakibiyu District, Abuja, the church’s Leader-in-Charge, Pastor Femi Akinfenwa, said harvest celebrations should serve as opportunities to unite Nigerians and inspire national development.

Chairman of the Youth Wing of CAN in Kano State, Rev. Dr. Samuel Asake, said Nigeria was at a critical crossroads and required divine intervention to overcome insecurity, division and instability.

Guest minister, Pastor Nathaniel Ayankanmi, described the rescue of the Oriire pupils as evidence that prayers remained effective, arguing that Nigeria’s challenges would have been worse without sustained spiritual intercession.

Also speaking, Pastor Alex Ogundipe of Peculiar Church, Kubwa, urged Nigerians to complement prayers with obedience to godly principles, compassion and generosity, saying national transformation requires both faith and responsible action.

The clerics offered prayers for peace, economic recovery and wisdom for the nation’s leaders, while calling on governments at all levels to adopt lasting measures that will end kidnappings and restore public confidence in the country’s security architecture.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Sunday, joined the people of Oyo State and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians in thanking Almighty God for the safe rescue of the pupils, teachers and other victims abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area after 56 difficult days in captivity.

In a statement issued by CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in Abuja.

It would be recalled that 46 people, consisting of 39 pupils and 7 teachers, were initially abducted during the mass school kidnapping in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor, Governor Seyi Makinde, and all the security agencies involved in the rescue of the teachers and the school children.

Okoh also tasked the relevant agencies to ensure the freedom of every Nigerian still held by terrorists, bandits or other criminal groups.

The statement reads, “For the children who have returned, for the teachers who have been reunited with their families, and for parents whose tears have given way to joy, this is a day of profound gratitude. We give God all the glory for preserving their lives through an ordeal no child or teacher should ever experience.

“I also commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, the Armed Forces, the Intelligence Agencies, the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, Amotekun Corps, local hunters, vigilantes and everyone who played a role in bringing this painful episode to a successful conclusion. The reports that the operation was guided by patience, credible intelligence and a determination to protect innocent lives are reassuring and deserve recognition. Every successful rescue reminds us that when our security institutions work together with resolve and professionalism, hope can triumph over fear.

“Governor Seyi Makinde also deserves our appreciation for standing with the affected families throughout this painful period. We are encouraged by his assurance that the Oyo State Government will support the rehabilitation of the rescued children and teachers as they begin to rebuild their lives. We rejoice with the government and people of Oyo State and pray that such sorrow will never visit our schools again”.

“As encouraging as this development is, however, I find it difficult to celebrate without also thinking about other Nigerian families whose own story has not yet changed.

” Today, parents in Oriire will hold their children again after weeks of anxious waiting. We rejoice with them. But there are mothers and fathers in Borno, Niger and other parts of our country who will still go to bed praying that the next knock on the door will bring news that their own children are coming home.

“Their pain is no less real because it attracts fewer headlines. Their tears are no less bitter because the cameras have moved elsewhere”, he said .

The CAN President noted, “As Christians, we believe that every child is a gift from God and that every human life carries equal dignity. That is why Scripture urges us to “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed” (Psalm 82:3). Our compassion must never become selective, and our concern must never depend on geography, ethnicity or religion.

“The rescue in Oyo should strengthen our determination to secure the freedom of every Nigerian still held by terrorists, bandits or other criminal groups. It should renew hope for families who have waited far too long and reassure them that they have not been forgotten”.

He therefore urged the government to ensure the victims are rehabilitated, “It should also remind us that bringing victims home is only part of the task. Children who have lived through weeks of fear will need time, care and understanding to heal. The same is true of their teachers and families. We therefore encourage governments, faith communities and humanitarian organisations to work together in providing the counselling, medical care and emotional support they will require as they rebuild their lives.

He urged the government to ensure, “Our schools must once again become places of learning, not places of fear. No parent should have to choose between giving a child an education and keeping that child alive.

“At this moment of thanksgiving, I urge all Nigerians not to allow this welcome success to diminish our concern for those who are still in captivity. Let us continue to pray, to support our security personnel, and to stand with every family that is waiting for the safe return of a loved one.

“CAN will continue to pray for the full recovery of those who have been rescued and for God’s protection over the men and women risking their lives to defend our nation. We also pray that the Lord will comfort families still living with uncertainty and grant success to every lawful effort to bring the remaining captives home.

“Our celebration will be complete not only when those in captivity are released but also when all Nigerians can move about freely without fear”, he stressed.

By Professor Gesiye Salo Angaye and Dr. Preye Angaye

If government really wants to improve Nigerians’ lives, it needs to look far beyond the pay cheques of public servants

Nigerian workers, through Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have reopened wage negotiations, demanding a “living wage” ranging from ₦100,000 to ₦250,000 with some union factions demanding up to ₦1,000,000 per month.

The National Minimum Wage Act of 1981 fixed the minimum wage at N125 per month. Successive reviews raised the wage to N18,000 in 2011, N30,000 in 2019, and N70,000 in 2024.

When President Bola Tinubu signed the new ₦70,000 minimum wage into law on 29 July 2024, it was hailed as a turning point for Nigerian workers. Labour leaders celebrated. State House aides called it a promise kept. But almost two years on, a harder question is worth asking: has doubling the minimum wage actually made Nigerians better off?

The honest answer is: not much, and not for long and for most Nigerians, not at all. A closer look at the numbers shows that a wage increase, however well-intentioned, cannot by itself lift a nation out of hardship. Without matching reforms in productivity, inflation control, and public investment, a bigger pay cheque for some can quickly become a bigger problem for everyone.

A RAISE THAT VANISHED INTO PRICES

The timing tells its own story. The new wage was agreed just months after the government removed the petrol subsidy and let the naira float freely, two decisions that had already sent the cost of living soaring. By the time Tinubu put pen to paper on the Minimum Wage Act, inflation had already crossed 34 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Food prices, the thing that matters most to ordinary households, were rising even faster, touching almost 40 per cent by December 2024.

Economists have a name for what tends to happen next: the wage-price spiral. Government raises wages. Landlords, sensing that tenants suddenly have more naira in their pockets, raise rents. Transport operators raise fares. School proprietors raise fees. Traders raise the price of garri, rice and tomatoes. Private employers, under pressure to keep pace with the new public sector benchmark, raise their own costs and pass the difference on to customers. Within months, much of the extra ₦40,000 that public servants gained on paper has quietly disappeared into a higher cost of living.

“A pay rise that isn’t matched by more goods and services on the shelves rarely stays a pay rise for long. It becomes a price rise instead.”

This is not simply theory. Nigeria has been here before. Similar patterns followed the wage reviews of 2011 and 2019: workers cheered a higher number on their payslip, only to watch it lose much of its value within a year or two as prices adjusted around them.

THE NINE IN TEN NIGERIANS THE LAW DOESN’T REACH 

Perhaps the bigger problem is who the minimum wage law simply cannot help. According to the NBS Labour Force Survey, roughly 93 per cent of employed Nigerians work in the informal economy as market traders, commercial bus and okada riders, artisans, tailors, hairdressers, smallholder farmers and small business owners. Only about one in ten Nigerians holds a formal wage job of the kind the minimum wage law actually covers.

For that vast informal majority, the ₦70,000 minimum wage changes nothing directly. No employer is legally bound to pay them more. Many already earn far less than ₦70,000 a month, some scraping by on ₦40,000 or less. Yet when rents, transport fares and food prices rise in the wake of a nationally publicised wage increase, these Nigerians feel every bit of the pain without a matching gain. In effect, a policy designed to help workers can end up quietly squeezing the very people it was never designed to reach.

A NATION OF UNEQUAL STATES

Then there is the question of who can actually afford to pay. Nigeria’s states are not equal. Lagos alone generated over ₦815 billion in internally generated revenue (IGR) in 2023. Rivers followed with over ₦195 billion. At the other end of the scale, states such as Taraba, Yobe and Kebbi generated barely ₦11 billion to ₦12 billion each, a fraction of what wealthier states raise, and often not enough to cover salaries, let alone build roads, schools or hospitals.

It is little surprise, then, that implementation of the new wage has been patchy and, in places, openly contested. More than a year after the law took effect, trade unions were still reporting that around 20 states had failed to pay the ₦70,000 rate to local government workers and primary school teachers. In the Federal Capital Territory, teachers went on strike four times in four months, shutting down schools in protest at unpaid wages.

This is not simply a story of unwilling governors. Many state governments genuinely cannot afford a wage bill designed with Nigeria’s richest states in mind. A national wage floor that ignores these vast differences in fiscal capacity all but guarantees that poorer states will either default, borrow, or starve other essential services of funding to keep up appearances.

A SMARTER WAY TO SET WAGES

None of this means Nigerian workers do not deserve better pay, they clearly do. But it suggests the current one-size-fits-all approach needs rethinking. Rather than a single national figure imposed uniformly on 36 states with wildly different resources, government could set a national wage floor affordable to most states, while allowing states with genuinely limited revenue to negotiate a transparent, publicly disclosed phase-in period, instead of the current pattern of quiet, unexplained non-payment. States would also need real support and pressure to grow their own revenue base, so that affordability improves over time rather than remaining a permanent excuse.

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS: TOWARDS INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE WELFARE IN NIGERIA

The foregoing analysis suggests that while the national minimum wage remains an important instrument for protecting workers, it should not constitute the principal strategy for improving the welfare of Nigerians. Lasting prosperity requires a comprehensive policy framework that promotes productivity, inclusive growth, and efficient public service delivery.

The following recommendations are therefore proposed.

1. Maintain a National Minimum Wage as a Social Protection Measure

Nigeria should retain a statutory national minimum wage to protect workers against exploitation and extreme poverty. However, future wage reviews should be guided not only by inflation but also by labour productivity, economic growth, government revenue, and fiscal sustainability.

2. Link Wage Growth to Productivity

Governments should introduce programmes that improve productivity throughout the public service. Better training, digitalisation, performance evaluation, merit-based promotion, and stronger accountability should accompany future salary adjustments. Higher productivity should justify higher wages, thereby reducing inflationary pressures.

3. Give States Greater Fiscal Flexibility

While maintaining a national minimum standard, governments should recognise the differences in the fiscal capacities of Nigeria’s states. Through dialogue with organised labour and other stakeholders, states should have reasonable flexibility to negotiate wage structures that reflect their economic realities, provided that workers’ basic rights are protected.

4. Invest More in Human Capital

Greater public investment should be directed towards free, high-quality basic education, vocational and technical training, healthcare, nutrition, and skills development. These investments strengthen human capital, improve productivity, and increase long-term national income. Improved education will produce a more productive workforce capable of earning higher incomes throughout life.

Roughly seven in ten Nigerians pay for healthcare entirely out of their own pockets, and fewer than one in ten have any form of health insurance. A single hospital bill can push a family into poverty overnight. Expanding the new National Health Insurance Authority scheme, particularly for the poor and informally employed, would protect millions from exactly the kind of shock that no wage increase can cushion.

5. Improve Infrastructure

Reliable electricity, potable water, efficient transportation systems, digital connectivity, and modern communication infrastructure should become national priorities. Lower production costs will encourage private investment, expand employment, and raise living standards.

6. Modernise Agriculture and Strengthen Food Security

Government should expand access to agricultural credit, improved seedlings, fertilisers, mechanisation, irrigation, extension services, storage facilities, and rural roads. A more productive agricultural sector will improve food security, reduce inflation, and increase rural incomes.

7. Support Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Small businesses are the backbone of Nigeria’s economy. Easier access to affordable finance, business advisory services, digital technologies, and simplified regulations would enable these enterprises to expand, employ more Nigerians, and contribute more significantly to economic growth.

8. Strengthen Fiscal Responsibility

Governments at all levels should manage public finances prudently. Recurrent expenditure, including personnel costs, should not crowd out capital investment in schools, hospitals, roads, water supply, and other productive infrastructure. Sound fiscal management is essential for sustainable development.

9. Promote Progressive and Fair Taxation

Tax policy should ensure that individuals and corporations with greater ability to pay contribute fairly towards financing public services. At the same time, government must improve transparency and accountability so that taxpayers can see tangible improvements in public service delivery.

10. Place Quality of Life at the Centre of Public Policy

The ultimate objective of economic policy should be to improve the quality of life of all Nigerians. Government performance should therefore be assessed not only by wage increases but also by measurable improvements in education, healthcare, employment, housing, infrastructure, environmental quality, security, and the overall well-being of citizens.

TOWARDS A NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT

Nigeria stands at an important moment in its development. The country possesses abundant human and natural resources, yet millions of its citizens continue to experience poverty, unemployment, and inadequate public services.

The time has therefore come to redefine the relationship between government and the people. Citizens rightly expect more than periodic salary reviews. They expect competent governance, prudent management of public resources, equal opportunities, and public services that enhance their daily lives.

A new social contract should rest on three pillars: productive employment, efficient public institutions, and improved quality of life. When these foundations are firmly established, higher wages will emerge naturally from a stronger and more productive economy rather than from repeated emergency responses to inflation.

Such an approach offers Nigeria the best prospect of achieving inclusive, equitable, and sustainable national development.