Lagos, Nigeria – When Yusuf Mogaji joined the Nigerian civil service as a non-teaching staff member at the University of Ilorin in 2015, he dreamed of building his own house. His monthly salary of 46,000 naira (worth US$236 at the time) was enough to support himself and his family and even buy half a plot of land (300 square meters) later in the year.

Eight years and four public service appointments later, the country is still untouched and Mogaji’s goals are no longer a priority as he struggles to support himself and his family of three.

The value of the naira has fallen so much that although his net salary has increased to 57,000 naira, the dollar equivalent in 2023 is $68.06 – $167.94 less than what he earned in 2015 earned. Almost half of the new income now goes towards getting away from work.

“Is it the money that isn’t even enough to eat that I’m going to invest? “There was a time when government work was great, but now there is no such thing,” Mogaji said.

Since 2015, Nigeria has experienced two recessions and its economy has been hit by fluctuations in global oil prices, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. In June, the country’s debt management office said the government was spending at least 73.5 percent of its revenue on debt servicing, making it difficult for it to meet basic obligations.

Inflation in Nigeria is currently at 26 percent, its highest in 18 years, as the naira continues to depreciate against the dollar. The economic reality became bleaker when Bola Tinubu, elected president in February, devalued the naira and eliminated a decades-long fuel subsidy that had helped lower the cost of living. Mogaji has reduced the amount of food and household items he buys, including rice, semolina and even diapers, because their prices have tripled.

The Nigeria Labor Congress, a major trade union coalition in the country, has repeatedly threatened to shut down the economy to protest the government’s refusal to increase workers’ salaries despite the huge rise in the cost of living. The minimum wage in Nigeria is currently 33,000 naira (US$39.40).

During the independence speech, the government compromised by opting for an additional wage supplement of 35,000 naira (US$41.79) for six months. Al Jazeera spoke to Mogaji and three other workers who said that was barely enough.

“Even the salary is only enough for food and the rest for transport to work, there is nothing left. And you [the government] said the palliative was for six months. Will it be the same again after six months? We will be back to square one,” he said.

“A rock and a hard place”

As Nigeria’s economy deteriorates, an increase in the minimum wage is the key demand of various workers’ unions. Experts say salary increases cannot happen because Africa’s largest economy is bankrupt and can barely finance its spending. They add that temporary remedies are unlikely to help beneficiaries.

“There is no other answer than to reduce inflation and keep it low.” The honest truth is that for anyone earning in naira, an inflation rate of 26 percent means they are not going anywhere, no matter who they are; Their monthly salary more or less doesn’t matter,” said Joachim MacEbong, senior analyst at Lagos-based economic research firm Stears.

“The money just isn’t there. Nigeria’s total turnover is five trillion naira and less; “You can’t do anything with that much money for a country with 200 million inhabitants,” he said.

The workers say they are not responsible for the country’s situation, as the country has been marred by decades of corruption and wasteful government spending during its economic boom.

“Unfortunately, this type of governance, which is not aimed at averting long-term pain, comes with a cost. There is nothing we can do,” Amara Nwankpa, director of policy initiatives at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, told Al Jazeera. “We can postpone it for another year or two, but at the end of the day the chickens will still come home to roost and that is the reality – Nigerian workers are in a difficult situation.”

“Livable wage”

Since Tinubu announced his series of economic reforms, many workers, even at the state level, have been demanding comprehensive measures to cushion the associated shocks.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, food inflation in Nigeria reached 30.64 percent in September. Inflation has leveled off, according to SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based geopolitical consultancy Staple food like jollof rice, a popular food item, out of reach. Likewise, electricity tariffs have increased by 40 percent and fuel now costs 700 naira (US$0.84) per liter (0.26 gallons). Transportation and other amenities are also increasingly inaccessible to workers.

Tunde Taiwo* [name changed for fear of retribution], 31, is a sergeant with the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps, a security agency set up by the state government to combat urban crime. His work often puts him in danger. Last year he was overpowered and abused by louts.

When his October salary of 50,000 naira ($59.70) came before taxes, three lenders got involved.

“It’s not that I want the loans, but what will you do if your family is suffering? “What’s the point of a government job when you can’t even support your family?” said Taiwo, who has been working for the government for five years. And that’s why he’s not impressed by temporary gains.

“They should give us a livable wage that we can rely on, not a minimum wage, because the way we live does not meet any standard of living,” he said.

Experts say the government may have missed the window of opportunity to introduce safety nets by squandering years of recovery. “The government must go for the low-hanging fruits that can target the most vulnerable and most affected in the country, such as food and other energy sources that can have an immediate impact,” Nwankpa said.