ECONOMIC HARDSHIP: Workers to get N70,000 transport allowance for 6 months

Civil servants in the country are to get a monthly transport allowance of N70,000 for six months as part of efforts by the federal government to reduce they economic hardship they face.

The approval of the package which begins in November, was part of the resolutions reached at a conciliation meeting between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress in Abuja on Tuesday.

The meeting was called to discuss grievances by organised labour over workers’ welfare, the rising cost of living and outstanding agreements.

The government also approved the payment of outstanding peculiar allowance arrears, effective from May 1, 2026, in three equal monthly instalments beginning in November.

The meeting also agreed to immediately constitute a Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee, saying, “the memorandum stated, “It was agreed that the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be constituted and commence meeting immediately. It should however be noted that there is a disagreement on the effective date of implementation.”

The resolutions were contained in a memorandum of understanding signed at the end of the meeting by the Director-General of Budget, Timi Yakubu; NLC President, Joe Ajaero; the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Garba Abdul S.U.; and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi.

The document, titled ‘Resolutions Reached at a Conciliation Meeting Held at Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment Between the Federal Government and the Leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress on Tuesday, 27th October, 2026’, outlined agreements on transport support, outstanding allowances, minimum wage negotiations, health workers’ remuneration, tax relief and hazard allowances for agricultural officers.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, the NLC Assistant Secretary-General, Chris Onyeka, described the discussions as productive but said they fell short of labour’s expectations.

“It was productive, but not as we had expected,” he said.

Onyeka said negotiations often required compromises, adding that parties could not always achieve all their objectives.

“Sometimes you win some, lose some,” he said.

He clarified that the proposed Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be tripartite, comprising representatives of the government, workers and employers.

He also confirmed that the transport allowance would be paid for six months, beginning in November.

The meeting followed an earlier conciliation session held on October 22, 2026, which the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment convened to address disagreements between the government and organised labour.

On the transport allowance, the memorandum stated, “That transport intervention of Seventy Thousand Naira (N70,000) commencing from November 2026 would be paid across all levels for a period of six months.”

The agreement comes amid persistent concerns over rising transportation costs and the prices of essential goods following the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, which contributed to increased living costs across the country.

Organised labour has repeatedly called for measures to ease the economic pressure on workers, including lower petrol prices, improved wages and the implementation of outstanding welfare agreements.

For health workers, the government agreed to clear 19 months of outstanding allowance arrears within three months, beginning in December 2026.

The memorandum stated, “Nineteen (19) Months arrears of allowances for Health Workers to be redeemed within three (3) months with effect from December, 2026.”

The memorandum also urged state and local governments to participate in the intervention process, noting that the authorities have responsibilities for the welfare of workers in their respective public services.

It stated, “State Governments and Local Governments are urged to key into the intervention process. Unions are equally enjoined to push for its implementation.”

The parties also agreed to review the implementation of the resolutions after one month.

The memorandum stated, “Both parties to reconvene after a period of one month to appraise the level of implementation of the resolution.”