Federal Government on Tuesday raised salaries for government workers by between 25% and 35%, backdated to January, the salaries commission said, as Africa's biggest economy grapples with its worst cost of living crisis in nearly three decades.

The lowest-paid government employee will earn 450,000 naira ($323.97) a year or 37,500 monthly, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission said in a statement.

The increase covers all federal government employees, including those in the health, education and security sectors.

The government is separately negotiating with labour unions on a new national monthly minimum wage, which was last reviewed in 2019.

Nigerians are facing inflation of 33.20%, the highest in 28 years, after the government removed a popular petrol subsidy and foreign currency controls, which weakened the naira.

The country's electricity regulator this month hiked tariffs for some consumers.

($1 = 1,389.0000 naira)

Reuters