Atiku faults Nigerian govt’s N70,000 transport allowance for workers

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government’s N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public service workers, describing it as a temporary measure that would do little to address Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, director of strategic communications of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign council, Atiku said the allowance would buy only about 50 litres of petrol at an estimated price of N1,400 per litre.

Atiku, the ADC’s presidential candidate, said the six-month intervention reflected the government’s failure to address the wider economic hardship affecting households and businesses.

The Federal Government announced the monthly allowance in a memorandum of understanding reached with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday, with payments scheduled to begin in November 2026.

The agreement followed weeks of labour agitation over rising living costs, petrol prices, workers’ welfare and outstanding agreements.

Atiku said the transport allowance would do little to ease the financial pressure on workers and other Nigerians grappling with rising costs across the economy.

“The cost-of-living crisis reaches beyond transport: energy, food, rent and other essentials affect every part of daily life,” he said.

He cited the rising costs of powering businesses, cooking, operating school buses and meeting household expenses, questioning whether the government believed the hardship ended at the bus stop.

Atiku also questioned why the intervention was limited to public service workers, noting that private-sector employees, traders, small businesses, transport operators and informal-sector workers were equally affected by rising costs.

“If public service workers receive N70,000 monthly for transport from November, what happens to private-sector workers, traders, small businesses, transport operators and millions without formal jobs?” he asked.

The ADC presidential candidate called on the government to clarify the eligibility criteria for the allowance, publish payment dates and resolve outstanding minimum wage negotiations.

He described the six-month intervention as inadequate, arguing that temporary payments could not reverse the effects of the government’s economic policies.

Atiku also criticised the government’s compressed natural gas (CNG) initiative, saying it had failed to deliver the promised reduction in transport costs for Nigerians.

“These rushed announcements smack of political bribery and corruption,” he said, adding that the government had not demonstrated a genuine commitment to addressing the consequences of petrol subsidy removal.

Atiku proposed a transparently managed production subsidy for petrol refined in Nigeria as an alternative, arguing that it could provide relief at the pump.

He said the government should tackle alleged corruption and leakages rather than shift the burden of its policies onto Nigerians.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) rejected the Federal Government’s N70,000 monthly transport allowance, describing the temporary relief as inadequate and demanding an increase in workers’ salaries.

In a statement, TUC President Festus Osifo and the congress’ Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro, said the government should increase workers’ pay rather than rely on temporary allowances.

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