Federal public servants will get a ₦70,000 transport allowance every month for six months from November 2026, the Federal Government has agreed.
The approval followed a conciliation meeting between the government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja on October 27, 2026.
Both sides also reached agreements on workers’ welfare, outstanding allowances, minimum wage talks and other labour issues.
Under the deal, an eligible worker could receive ₦420,000 over the six months if the allowance runs for the full period.
The government says the allowance will help to ease the impact of rising living costs on federal workers and families.
However, questions remain over which categories of workers are covered, how payment will work and how far state and local governments will take part.
The memorandum of understanding says the intervention will apply “across all levels”.
It is meant to give temporary relief to workers facing high transport and living costs.
Payment Details Remain Unclear
The allowance starts in November 2026 and should run to April 2027, subject to implementation.
The ₦420,000 is the total over six months, not a one-off payment.
However, the agreement does not give an exact payment date or say if it will come with monthly salaries.
It also does not say whether workers must apply, which payment channels will be used or which public servants qualify.
The allowance is separate from the national minimum wage.
The statutory minimum wage rose from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 in 2024.
The meeting did not settle the dispute over when the new minimum wage arrangements take effect.
Instead, both sides agreed to set up a Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee, with meetings to begin at once.
The agreement encourages state and local governments to join the intervention and calls on unions to press for it.
However, it does not show that every state has approved the allowance.
Workers in states will need confirmation from their governments.
Other Resolutions At The Meeting
The government also approved payment of outstanding peculiar allowance arrears, effective from May 1, 2026.
Payment will start in November 2026 in three equal monthly instalments.
The memorandum does not give the total owed or how much each worker will get.
For health workers, the government agreed to clear 19 months of outstanding allowances within three months, starting in December 2026.
The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) will assess the cost of adjusting the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) within three weeks.
The NSIWC is the agency that sets pay structures for public servants.
No final decision on the adjustment has been announced.
Hazard allowances for agricultural officers are being verified, and the exercise should end within two weeks.
The government and the NLC also discussed tax relief for workers.
The proposal will go to the National Executive Council.
Both sides will meet again after one month to review progress.
TUC Rejects The Allowance
Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has rejected the ₦70,000 allowance.
In a statement on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, it described the award as temporary and inadequate.
It demanded an immediate pay rise and said the lowest-paid federal worker’s salary could be raised to ₦300,000.
The ₦300,000 figure is a demand, not an approved increase.
The TUC said the government can raise salaries without a new national minimum wage, since no law sets a maximum wage.
It added that some states already pay minimum wages above ₦100,000.
The congress also recalled that a wage award agreed on October 2, 2023 was not fully implemented.
It also demanded the agreed adjustment to CONHESS for the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
It said seven months have passed since the agreement.
The TUC said it is awaiting the outcome of a scheduled meeting with the government before deciding its next step.
