PoliGuard Analytics

Beyond the ₦70,000 Minimum Wage: Why Nigeria Must Shift to Hourly Pay

sadmin — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 13:52:00 +0000

The proposed ₦70,000 minimum wage has triggered another round of heated debate in Nigeria. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) insists the amount is too low to survive on. Meanwhile, the federal government is quietly dissatisfied with the low productivity levels, especially in the public sector. But what if the true problem lies not in the amount of workers’ pay but in their method of payment?

At PoliGuard Analytics, we strongly advocate for a shift to an hourly wage system. It’s not just a fairer approach; it’s a smarter one. Here’s why

₦70,000 Per Month = ₦358.97 Per Hour

The current standard of 9 hours per day and working days of Monday through Friday makes 45 hours/week; therefore, ₦70,000 monthly boils down to:

₦358.97/hour
₦16,153.85/week
₦840,000/year

The flat monthly wage rewards presence rather than performance. It seems employers compensate workers regardless of whether their contributions drive significant results. This act has cultivated a culture of mediocrity, absenteeism, and minimal output, particularly in government-funded institutions where IGR (internally generated revenue) remains critically low.

The salary-wage reform strategy is not merely an economic necessity; it represents a shift in mindset, and it is long overdue.

Why Hourly Wage Works Better: Real-World Examples

1. Transparency and Accountability

At Beyond Office, our hourly wage ranges from ₦375/hour for non-skilled workers to ₦1,750/hour for senior managers. Employees are paid strictly based on hours worked and tasks delivered. This structure has:

Eliminated “ghost workers”
Increased staff punctuality
Made payroll leaner and performance-driven

2. Incentive to Work Smarter and Harder

Consider this:

Worker A on a flat salary spends 3 hours chatting or idle daily.
Worker B, on an hourly wage, ensures they stay productive every minute to earn every naira.

The outcome? Worker B consistently delivers better results, and businesses/government agencies get value for their money.

3. Protecting Freelancers and Young Professionals

With the rise of gig work, hourly payments empower young people and freelancers who take on multiple jobs; instead of being locked into underpaying monthly contracts, they earn based on the actual hours they commit.

4. Better Workforce Planning

Let’s say a ministry employs 200 administrative officers at ₦70,000 per month; this amounts to ₦14 million monthly. However, if this ministry switches to hourly pay and evaluates actual workloads, it may only need to employ 100 officers full-time, with others working part-time. This change could save the government millions while enhancing efficiency.

The Way Forward: A Hybrid Wage Reform Strategy

Hourly wages do not necessitate the complete abandonment of salary structures. This model allows for flexibility in compensation while still providing a stable framework for employee salaries. By integrating both hourly wages and salary structures, organizations can better meet the diverse needs of their workforce. Here is a balanced model we recommend:

Base pay (to guarantee stability)
Hourly performance incentives
Project-based bonuses

This hybrid model aligns wages with effort and national economic reality.

Conclusion: Nigeria Must Pay for Output, Not Occupation

We must evolve from a “monthly entitlement culture” to a performance-driven compensation culture. Hourly wage payment:

Aligns effort with income
Eliminates redundancy
Empowers the youth and gig workers
Encourages true productivity in public and private sectors

The salary-wage reform strategy is not merely an economic necessity; it represents a shift in mindset, and it is long overdue.

Ondo 2025 Budget: Recovery or a Basket Leaking Public Funds

sadmin — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:23:12 +0000

The size of the budget of Ondo State has increased from levels of approximately ₦230 billion in 2023 to nearly ₦700 billion in 2025 under a very ambitious tag, “Budget of Recovery.” Over 62% of the 2025 budget is allocated for capital expenditure with enormous provisions for infrastructure, agriculture, and industrial development. Theoretically, these investments should make way for better public services, business climates, and jobs. But if we examine the figures more closely and compare them with past years, the truth is clear: the state is bleeding cash, paying out more and taking in less.

If in doubt, just ask:

Why is the state investing more in agriculture when food supply is still under the control of other states’ produce?
Why is security funding ballooning while Amotekun is under-equipped?
Why is healthcare underfunded when our elderly citizens are not able to get basic services?

This is a classic case of “putting water in a basket,” enormous allocations on paper but not much to be seen on the ground.

The Numbers Just Don’t Add Up

Agriculture: From Food Basket to Import Dependence?

Agriculture received ₦26.27 billion in 2025, nearly twice previous budgets; yet we continue to import most of our yams, tomatoes, and maize from other states. In 2023, agriculture was approved at around ₦13 billion. In 2024, it was improved, but farmers barely felt any difference.

Ondo State is endowed with extensive cultivable land, yet most farmers continue to lack access to credit, mechanization, and market linkages.

What is being financed?

Farmers continue to lack mechanized equipment—most use rudimentary tools, and large-scale farming is not possible.
There are no organized farm-to-market logistics, and local farm fruits and vegetables therefore rot for lack of storage and transport.
Lack of functional agro-processing factories; hence, we are exporting raw materials instead of exporting processed goods.

If we are serious about economic recovery, therefore, we need to make agriculture the driver of rural jobs and food security. Ondo ought to be feeding other states and exporting, not relying on other people to feed us.

IGR Reality: Where Is the Revenue?

If we are investing billions in agriculture, then why is the state reaping so little from it?

The IGR from agriculture is woefully low as depicted in the budget. This indicates the funds channeled into the projects have little or no returns.

Farmers struggle to register and operate formally because government support structures are weak. Ondo has the land, the farmers, and the labour, yet our markets are flooded with Benue, Taraba, and even Niger Republic vegetables. That is economic mismanagement at its worst.

Education: A Future in Jeopardy

The government proposed to spend ₦85.31 billion on education, which sounds great till you look at how it will be spent.

Where are the scholarships for indigent students?
Will this budget at last end the crisis of overcrowded classrooms and unpaid teachers?
Are we putting money into vocational training to prepare the youth for the future?
What is the educational plan the administration has for our disabled residents?

Ondo’s educational system requires more than figures in a budgetary report. It requires a genuine commitment to constructing schools, educating teachers, and making all children, particularly girls in rural villages, have access to good-quality education.

Security: Fewer Protections, More Dollars

Security is required, but are we receiving value for money?

Amotekun receives billions yet lacks the basic tools to fight crime.
No CCTV installation, no command center, and no high-tech monitoring despite excessive budgetary appropriations.
The corp continues to use old radio systems and human intelligence collection.

Compare this budget to that of 2023 and 2024; the security votes went up, yet the Amotekun personnel are without adequate protective equipment. What exactly is the state paying for?

At the same time, rural insecurity is rendering farming riskier, also diminishing agricultural production. If we are truly committed to safeguarding our citizens and economy, security spending needs to be transparent, accountable, and effective.

Healthcare: Will Women and Children Benefit?

Health is a non-negotiable basis for any society, yet the approved Ondo’s 2025 health budget is ₦8.93 billion, which is still relatively low against infrastructural expenditures.

In a country where infant and maternal mortality are still in the red, what we ought to be witnessing are refurbished hospitals and better-equipped primary health centers. However, it appears the residents of the state witness only underfunded health departments, while billions of naira are spent on “security votes” and administrative costs.

What does this budget have for the low-income mothers? Will she be able to go to a properly equipped maternity ward? Will rural clinics receive the funds they so desperately need at last? Or will she continue to have to walk miles to receive basic treatment?

Who Cares for the Forgotten?

The state has a lot of senior citizens, but it appears their needs are not catered for by the health funds.

No overall system of welfare for older citizens.
Pensioners often lack access to quality care.
Primary healthcare centers remain under-equipped, forcing residents to travel long distances for treatment.

This is against ₦7.4 billion for health in 2023 and ₦7.9 billion in 2024; the 2025 increase is hardly notable amidst soaring inflation and healthcare needs. The inconvenient truth is that citizens will still lose their lives from preventable diseases while our politicians continue to receive special medical care overseas.

Final Thoughts: Time for Accountability

This budget can either be a gateway to actual recovery or yet another political document enriching some individuals at others’ expense while the state loses.

There is a possibility for Ondo State to get its priorities right and ensure that this budget delivers practical dividends to common citizens. But it will not be so unless:

Clearness in reporting real expenditure.
Investing money in actual, income-generating ventures.
Stricter budgetary control over “security votes” and administrative costs.
We concentrate on the sectors that actually transform lives—health, education, and agriculture.
A change from paper budgets to actual impact, where the government is accountable to the people, not greed, which demands that they do anything to stay in power.

The Elephant in the Room: Priorities vs. Political Survival

This budget poses a question—not only one of economic ambition but also of political reality. As education, health, and agriculture receive comparatively modest allocations, the state is confronted with bloated figures under the new government administration, “security votes,” and legislative allowances. The Budget of Recovery can be a roadmap to development or yet another missed opportunity. It is upon us to keep people accountable and fight for genuine change. Otherwise, in 2026, we will be back here posing these same glaring questions.

Over to You, Fellow Citizens:

Do you believe this budget will lead to actual change?
Are we in the right sectors?
What do we ask of our leaders?

Let’s keep the conversation going.

Defining the campaign structures of the near future

sadmin — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:32:00 +0000

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Protected: Proposed Speech for Agboola Ajayi About the Local Government Election Boycott

sadmin — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 13:33:00 +0000

people-oriented campaign design

sadmin — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 11:40:00 +0000

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Effective strategies for increased productivity

sadmin — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:39:00 +0000

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Campaign financial management guide for beginners

sadmin — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 11:34:00 +0000

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Creative media ideas from simple things

sadmin — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 11:35:00 +0000

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Everything you need to know about campaigning

sadmin — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 11:20:00 +0000

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Achieving campaign goals is the best reward

sadmin — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 11:14:00 +0000

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