Employees of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) have raised alarm over what they describe as deteriorating welfare, escalating household expenses and salaries that have failed to rise, despite their role in boosting the state’s internally generated revenue.
In a notice circulated by the KWIRS branch of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), workers said their commitment and professional efforts had helped make Kwara one of Nigeria’s relatively self-sustaining states. Yet, they argued, those contributions have not translated into better pay or working conditions.
The employees challenged the contrast between the revenue they help protect and collect and the financial pressure facing many staff members. They said officers are deployed to hospitals and other ministries, departments and agencies to prevent revenue losses, often working around the clock under demanding conditions, while inadequate wages leave them unable to cover essential expenses.
The circular, signed by branch secretary Adam Ibrahim, said a growing number of KWIRS employees run out of money before month-end. Loan repayments deducted through fintech platforms and other lenders have further reduced take-home pay, leaving some workers dependent on fresh borrowing to meet daily needs.
The union said personnel expenditure had remained largely flat for years even as other categories of government spending continued to climb. It pointed to a salary-negotiation agreement dated October 11, 2022, under which the adjustment was to be introduced once it could be provided for in the budget.
Nearly four years later, the staff said the agreement had neither been carried out nor accompanied by a firm timetable for implementation, despite the sharp increase in living costs. They cited higher bills for children’s education, rent, transport and food, while their own earnings have stayed unchanged.
“We may appear fine publicly, but most of us are suffering privately,” the workers said, adding that they could not continue producing revenue for the state while living in severe poverty.
The association urged its members to stay united and determined in seeking improved welfare, saying better conditions would not come unless workers collectively defended their interests. It asked employees to remain calm, watchful and prayerful during a 14-day countdown that began on October 15, 2026, although it did not specify what action may follow when the period ends.
In separate comments, some staff criticised the Kwara government for committing billions of naira to building the new Revenue House while, in their view, neglecting the welfare of the employees expected to occupy it. One worker questioned the value of an impressive new office building if the people working inside it remain poor and distressed.
The KWIRS dispute is the latest in a series of labour complaints directed at the administration of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in recent months. Unions representing workers in the judiciary, health and education sectors have also pressed unresolved demands related to salaries and welfare.
Doctors employed by the state government, meanwhile, have been on a 14-day warning strike since last week. The action has disrupted care at government-owned hospitals across Kwara, exposing patients to worsening risks as medical services remain largely paralysed.
