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From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Major General Junaid Bindawa (rtd), has called for collaboration between the commission and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) in human capacity development.
Bindawa made the call when he led a delegation of the commission’s management staff on a courtesy visit to the PTDF in Abuja, stressing the need for both agencies to collaborate, particularly in training.
In a statement, Head of Press and Protocol, Emma Njoku, quoted Bindawa as saying that although the mandates of the PTDF and NSIWC were distinct, there were significant areas of convergence that provided a strong basis for deeper institutional collaboration.
He identified such areas as developing indigenous human and institutional capacity for the petroleum industry through education, training, research and development, as well as other interventions aimed at building the technical and professional competencies required for national development.
Bindawa said the NSIWC also had a critical responsibility in salaries, incomes and wages policy, including advising government on remuneration matters, promoting a fair, sustainable and coherent remuneration system in the public service, and undertaking research, analysis and policy development in support of national economic and labour policies.
He noted that both institutions shared a common interest in human capital development, institutional effectiveness, productivity, research, evidence-based policy and the development of highly skilled manpower.
According to him, the commission is also a stakeholder in the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021.
“The PIA gave a major participatory role to NSIWC in determining remuneration as a major stakeholder in the future of the oil and gas sector under Part III: Section 13(2), Section 21(a-c), Section 35(g)(i-iii) and Section 44(a-c),” he said.
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Bindawa said the commission would welcome discussions with the PTDF management on establishing a more structured framework for cooperation between the two institutions.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of PTDF, Prof. Shuaib Aliyu, called for the harmonisation of salary structures for federal government workers.
Aliyu condemned what he described as the lopsidedness in the salaries of civil servants, arguing that the country’s development challenges were partly linked to inadequate human capital development.
He said the situation could be addressed through a well-motivated workforce, urging the NSIWC to work towards bridging disparities in salaries and wages and achieving harmonisation.
“No single sector is more important than the other,” he said.
Aliyu also expressed concern that the teaching profession was gradually becoming a dumping ground for job seekers, particularly at the primary and secondary school levels, due to inadequate motivation.
He stressed that Nigeria could not achieve meaningful development without investing in its human resources.
The PTDF boss said the agency was ready to collaborate with the NSIWC on training and human capital development, noting that the commission played a critical role in the welfare and motivation of workers.
He added that the collaboration would be mutually beneficial, as the NSIWC had expertise in salary administration from which the PTDF could benefit.
