…Arrears expected by end of July amid system upgrade delays
After weeks of industrial action and protracted negotiations, staff of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have finally received payment for the newly approved minimum wage and adjusted salaries in May 2025.
An official of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) confirmed the development, noting that while the salary adjustments were successfully implemented, payment of arrears has been delayed and is now expected by the end of July due to technical upgrades on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
“The N70,000 minimum wage and the 25–35 per cent salary increment were what were implemented in the month of May,” the official said. “The arrears were supposed to come in June, but unfortunately, IPPIS is undergoing a system upgrade, so we expect payment by the end of July.”
The implementation follows the intervention of the Minister of Aviation, who reportedly placed a direct call to the Director-General (DG) of NiMet, urging immediate action.
“It was the Minister that called DG personally,” the source revealed. “After the meeting, they told him to go to the Accountant-General’s office, do whatever was needed, and make sure our money came in by May — and fortunately, that happened.”
The payment process began with the release of subsistence allowances, followed by the full implementation of the wage increase. The new salary structure includes a minimum wage of ₦70,000 and a tiered increment ranging between 25% and 35%, with junior staff receiving the higher end of the adjustment.
“Each level got their own percentage,” the official explained. “Some levels got up to 33%, depending on their grade. It’s only the junior staff that benefitted more than the senior ones.”
On other outstanding demands, the official noted that progress is ongoing. The new conditions of service, a key demand of the unions, have been signed by the DG and forwarded to the Minister of Aviation, who is expected to submit it to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission for final approval.
“We’ve documented all unresolved issues and informed the DG,” the official stated. “He’s expected to engage the relevant authorities to ensure full implementation of our demands.”
The development comes after a nationwide strike in May 2024, during which NiMet workers protested 45 months of unpaid minimum wage arrears dating back to 2019. Multiple unions — including the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) — had issued a 14-day ultimatum demanding action.
Their grievances highlighted poor working conditions, unresolved welfare issues, and the long-delayed implementation of statutory financial benefits, prompting wide-scale disruptions within the agency.
Despite the delays, the recent implementation of the new wage structure signals a step forward in addressing the concerns of NiMet workers, even as they await the full disbursement of arrears and finalization of other pending agreements.
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