The Federal Government has charged the newly inaugurated Board of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to develop a remuneration framework that promotes decent wages, higher productivity and industrial harmony without undermining the nation’s fiscal sustainability.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, gave the charge on Friday in Abuja while inaugurating the new NSIWC board, describing its mandate as critical to the success of the Federal Government’s ongoing economic reforms.

Akume said the administration of President Bola Tinubu was implementing far-reaching reforms aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability, improving productivity, strengthening workers’ welfare and laying the foundation for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

He said the NSIWC had a particularly strategic role to play because its responsibilities covered salary structures, productivity, job evaluation and compensation issues with direct implications for workers’ welfare, industrial relations and government finances.

“The role of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission is particularly strategic at this time. The Commission is entrusted with responsibilities relating to salary structures, productivity, job evaluation and compensation matters that have direct implications for workers’ remuneration, productivity, industrial harmony and the sustainability of government finances,” the SGF said.

Akume urged the new board to strike a delicate balance between fair and decent remuneration, improved productivity, affordability and the broader economic realities confronting the country.

He noted that the inauguration came against the backdrop of the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage framework, which had raised expectations among workers while imposing additional responsibilities on governments and employers.

According to him, recommendations by the commission must be evidence-based, transparent, timely and equitable, while remaining fiscally responsible and supported by credible data on wages, productivity, purchasing power and economic growth.

He further tasked the board to promote a remuneration system that rewards skills, responsibility, innovation and productivity, while strengthening efficiency and accountability across the public service.

“The Commission must promote a remuneration system that recognises skills, responsibility, innovation, and productivity while encouraging efficiency and accountability. Strengthening digital and data capabilities and positioning the Commission as a centre of excellence in compensation and productivity is crucial,” he added.

The SGF reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening institutions that advance the objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the NSIWC must help ensure that the gains of economic reforms translate into improved livelihoods for workers and a more stable industrial environment.

President Tinubu appointed Major General Junaid Bindawa (rtd.) as chairman of the new board, while former member of the House of Representatives from Lagos State, Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas, was appointed secretary of the commission.

Other members listed at the inauguration included Dr Ogbole Ene Lilian, Oladele Olatubosun and Yakubu Umar Barde, representing Benue, Oyo and Kaduna states respectively.

Also appointed were Dr Mai Adamu Yau of Borno State; Ginika Florence Tor of Enugu State; Engineer Lawrence Okoh of Edo State; and Bello Moronke Iyabode of Kogi State.

Akume congratulated the chairman and members of the board, urging them to justify the confidence reposed in them by providing “visionary, responsible and results-oriented leadership.”

In his acceptance speech, Bindawa thanked President Tinubu for the confidence placed in the board, assuring that the members would approach their responsibilities with commitment and professionalism.

He pledged that the board would promote constructive engagement with stakeholders and maintain harmonious relations with organised labour.

Bindawa acknowledged the weight of the commission’s mandate, particularly its responsibility for salaries, wages, incomes and productivity, describing the areas as central to workers’ welfare and the effective delivery of public services.

He assured Nigerians that the new board would work to deliver on its mandate and contribute to a remuneration system capable of supporting both workers’ welfare and national economic sustainability.