To live through the challenges, Sunday Tudonu, a security officer at a state-owned university, juggles what he called a plan B with the security job that earns him ₦40,000 a month.
Although the Federal Government recently approved ₦70,000 as the new minimum wage with a promise to review it every three years, it may still not be enough for workers like Tudonu whose income is meant to care for five children and two other dependants.
In a chat with Pulse Nigeria, Tudonu disclosed how he and his family adjusted to the harsh economic condition.
Share your experience of living on minimum wage amidst the current economic challenges
My salary no reach anywhere. We need the government to hear us and assist workers because there’s nothing for us without their assistance. I know how much I used to pay for my children’s school fees, but now, I am unable to pay as I used to. I had to change their school, and even with that, my income no reach.
The income now is like a token. Eating is a problem. As a civil servant, I live on loan. That’s what we use to sustain ourselves but after paying the loan, salary is not much again. Civil servants cannot survive without loans. If you want to build a house and pay school fees, which money do you want to use for that? But we manage our income like that. Now, things are totally expensive and unless you have a plan B (other income streams), your civil servant salary cannot do anything. No matter the amount you collect as salary, you need a plan B.
Do you have a plan B?
Well, I have a plan B because, without it, I cannot survive with my children. I pay their school fees. What I use to support myself which I call plan B is farming. But what type of farming because farming gets grades? In my farm, I plant corn, cassava, and beans. My farm is in Badagry. So, for a civil servant to survive this economy you need to have a plan B. Except you don’t have family. If you have a wife, children, friends, and parents, there’s no way you can survive on minimum wage.
By Bayo Wahab
