Anambra Ends Monday Shutdowns With Pay-Per-Day Plan

After four years of ghost-town Mondays, one Nigerian state is taking a bold stand to get people back to work.

Anambra State government announced it will start paying civil servants based on actual days worked starting February 2026. The decision targets a lingering problem where many public workers stayed home on Mondays, initially due to security concerns that officials say no longer exist.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo's administration reviewed the issue during a cabinet retreat in Awka this weekend. Commissioner for Information Dr. Law Mefor explained that some workers had been taking advantage of the situation, knowing they'd receive full pay regardless of showing up.

The new system divides monthly salaries by 24 working days to calculate a daily rate. Workers who skip Mondays will forfeit that portion of their salary, with attendance tracked through clock-in forms at the start and end of each Monday.

The Ripple Effect

The Monday absences haven't just affected government offices. The economic damage has rippled throughout Anambra's economy, with revenue collection agencies sitting empty and markets remaining closed on what should be productive business days.

According to an international firm's analysis, the state has lost trillions of naira over the years from the weekly shutdowns. Government officials rejected shifting the workweek to include Saturdays, calling it an implicit surrender to the boycott.

Instead, authorities are working with market leaders to encourage traders to reopen on Mondays while strengthening security measures to rebuild public confidence. The government chose the pay-per-day approach as a fairer alternative to outright disciplinary action under civil service rules.

Mefor emphasized that every lost workday means stalled government business and reduced revenue for essential services. Critical agencies like the Anambra Internal Revenue Service have seen significant financial losses from Monday closures.

The new policy represents a practical middle ground between punishment and tolerance, designed to restore fairness and efficiency to public spending. By February, workers will face a simple choice: show up on Monday, or accept a smaller paycheck.