What happens when a pay rise feels like a setup rather than a blessing? In Kwara State, a fresh storm is brewing inside the Kwara State Residents Registration Agency (KWASSRA). Workers say their dream of better salaries has turned into a tough daily struggle, as frustration mounts over alleged sackings, unpaid wages, and what many are calling “impossible monthly targets.” For the everyday staff at KWASSRA, the sunny promises of upward salary reviews have quickly given way to worries about job security, dignity, and their very wellbeing. Is this the price of progress, or has something gone wrong along the way?
According to affected employees, the crisis began just after the state government reportedly increased salaries two months ago, in line with the national minimum wage. But this good news didn’t land as expected. Behind closed doors, many say the pay raise came shackled to fresh expectations – a move they now describe as “a trap disguised as a promotion.”
Staff who spoke under the protection of anonymity, fearing repercussions, paint a troubling picture: every KWASSRA worker must now register no fewer than 300 residents each month. Anyone who fails to hit this target has their salary and data allowance withheld. For many, that’s a bitter pill – especially for those assigned to rural communities or areas where residents are less cooperative due to distrust or lack of information.
Imagine trekking under the hot Ilorin sun, trying to persuade people who barely know about KWASSRA’s mission. It’s no small feat. One field officer in Ilorin East narrated:
“They increased our salary, but the new condition makes life harder. If you don’t meet the 300-resident target, you won’t get paid. Imagine going out daily under the sun, burning your own fuel and data, and still not getting a kobo at the end of the month.”
“They owe people every month because out of 500 staff, maybe 250 manage to meet the target,” he said.
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The pressure has allegedly triggered a wave of resignations and informal suspensions. “Last week Friday, October 24, several of my colleagues packed their bags and left,” shared one staff, her voice tinged with resignation. Others, she claimed, have simply been told: “Don’t come back until you meet your registration numbers.”
“Due to the unrealistic targets given to us and with the governor insisting through the General Manager that it must be enforced, some of our colleagues have left the job. Even when you meet your target, they still find reasons to delay payment or remove your data allowance,” another source lamented.
Voices from inside KWASSRA speak of more than just missed targets. One senior officer called the working conditions “degrading,” adding, “Management is turning a blind eye to the ground realities we face daily.” It’s a sentiment shared by numerous employees who say their worries fall on deaf ears.
“They want everyone to register 300 people per month, but where are those people? Almost every household in our local government has already been registered. Some of us even go to other local governments to beg for residents to register, just to survive.”
“Maybe they want us to start fabricating the data for us to meet the target,” the senior officer added.
Some point fingers at what they see as a misguided obsession with figures. One employee even alleged that the agency’s management is fixated on quotas for political rather than operational reasons, raising questions about the true purpose of the registration push.
“It’s like they’re desperate to hit some numbers for political presentation. They keep saying we must impress the governor. But what kind of NOWAHALAZONE uses workers’ sweat for a political show-off?” the worker asked.
Those who tried to address the matter directly reportedly faced intimidation. According to several accounts, even polite confrontation with leadership was met with strong resistance and threats of disciplinary action.
“The GM told us clearly that there will be no salary without meeting 300 registrations, no matter our excuses,” one said.
“We tried explaining that people have already been captured across the state, but he refused to listen. Instead, he threatened to replace anyone who complained.”
“This whole policy is weighing us down mentally and financially,” lamented a female data officer in Kwara North. Many workers echo her feelings, pointing to sleepless nights and mounting debts as they try to meet the new targets with limited resources.
“We borrow to buy data and transport ourselves to villages daily. At the end of the month, they say we didn’t meet the target, so no payment. I’m a widow with two children; how do they expect me to survive like this?” she said with her voice breaking.
Fed up and facing a hard road, more staff are turning to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. Their plea: Intervene quickly, compel KWASSRA’s management to review this policy, clear the backlog of wage payments, and design a more humane approach to performance. For many, it’s not just about money – it’s about restoring dignity and decency to the workplace.
Inside KWASSRA’s Performance Targets: The Management’s Perspective
Responding to growing concerns, KWASSRA’s acting General Manager, Tajudeen Jimoh, sought to set the record straight. He explained that KWASSRA only began operations in July 2024, following a grand launch by Governor AbdulRazaq at the Government House Banquet Hall.
Source: Facebook
According to him, “At the inception, the consultant on the project advised that we engage about 500 ad-hoc staff so we could register three million Kwarans within three years. However, His Excellency, in his wisdom, approved that 150 should be engaged initially.”
According to Jimoh, the original staff strength could not meet the initial targets for registrations, prompting management to increase the target to 300 per worker by October 2024. Despite these expectations, outcomes reportedly remained below par, necessitating stricter measures.
He added that disciplinary action was taken against persistent underperformers, but even with that, staff registeration numbers did not improve. “We paid salaries from January to May 2025 with little or nothing to show for it – a waste of public funds,” Jimoh argued.
“While we had 300 staff, the total daily registration was not even up to 300,” he lamented.
“That meant many of the ad-hoc staff were either not working or something else was wrong.”
“Most of them applied, got trained, received the registration devices, and were posted to their areas, but never reported. They connived with supervisors to create the impression that they were working, and in return, shared their monthly salaries,” Jimoh said.
Jimoh also pointed out that some ad-hoc staff allegedly saw their jobs merely as political perks. By May 2025, KWASSRA made a tough call – disengaging non-performing workers and paying off contracts in full, according to the official account.
“It’s as if they see the job as part of the ‘Kwara cake,’” he said.
“We revalidated our team, set clear expectations, and even then, some continued to struggle. Many simply had other jobs or priorities,” the GM stated. He insisted that the performance-based system is both necessary and achievable, giving examples of officers who consistently surpass their quotas.
“We paid everyone and set a new daily registration target of 15 per officer instead of the initial 24. Those who couldn’t meet the new target by June and July were stopped,” he explained.
“When His Excellency approved ₦50,000 as salary last year, the minimum wage was ₦30,000. But as a listening leader, the Governor approved an upward review — ₦70,000 for data officers and ₦80,000 for supervisors,” he said.
In defending the policy, management maintains that public funds must be accounted for, especially in hard economic times. “It’s not too much to ask our workers to serve the public with commitment,” Jimoh concluded. Critics, however, argue that the real issue is not unwillingness, but the lack of support and understanding on the ground.
“It’s a performance-driven job. Only those who meet their daily targets will be paid. The data allowance has also been increased from ₦2,000 to ₦3,000.”
“We found that several of them are teachers in private schools, POS operators, or students, which affects their performance,” he said.
“If they claim the target is unrealistic, how come their hardworking colleagues are surpassing it and even earning extra pay?” he asked.
“In order to assist them further and also add a human face to the whole thing, the Agency, under my watch, paid those who registered up to 250 for last month, despite the fact that the target was 300,” he added.
Kwara’s N130,000 Incentive: A New Chapter for Girl-Child Education
Amid the ongoing standoff at KWASSRA, another government initiative is making waves. The Kwara State Government recently introduced a N130,000 financial incentive for parents who send and keep their daughters in school. The move, under the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, aims to tackle the stubborn problem of out-of-school girls in the region.
With over 37,000 girls reportedly slated to benefit soon, expectations are high that this could jump-start a fresh era for education and opportunity in Kwara State. Local education advocates say if well-managed, the project could serve as a model for similar schemes across Nigeria, impacting future generations in the process.
Local Impact, Unanswered Questions
For many Kwarans, two stories now dominate the public conversation: the struggle for dignified work at KWASSRA and the hope for girls’ education. On the one hand, citizens are asking whether government agencies can balance efficiency with humanity. On the other, many wonder if new incentives will really shift deep-rooted social patterns.
- Will review of performance policies restore staff morale and improve community trust?
- Can education investments deliver a lasting solution for thousands of young girls?
- What will it take for top-down reforms to match the realities in villages and urban areas alike?
As the debate unfolds, one thing is clear: Both government workers and ordinary families want progress, not just on paper, but in their pockets and homes. The path to meaningful reform rests, as always, on honest conversations, committed leadership, and practical solutions that speak to everyday Nigerian realities.
So, what’s your take? Are the new KWASSRA targets fair, or is a rethink overdue? Will financial incentives change the schooling story for girls in Kwara, or are bigger reforms needed? Drop a comment and stay with us for more updates as the story develops.
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