FG Approves N70,000 Monthly Transport Allowance for Workers

The Federal Government has approved a N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public servants for six months, beginning in November 2026, following renewed pressure from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the rising cost of living and outstanding workers’ welfare agreements.

Politics Nigeria reports that the decision was reached on Tuesday, October 27, during a conciliation meeting between government representatives and the leadership of the NLC in Abuja.

The meeting produced a series of resolutions covering transport support, unpaid allowances, health workers’ remuneration, minimum wage negotiations, tax relief and hazard allowances for agricultural officers.

Under the agreement, eligible public service workers across all levels are expected to receive the transport intervention for six months.

The measure is intended to provide temporary relief as workers continue to face high transportation costs and increasing prices of essential goods and services.

The memorandum of understanding signed at the end of the meeting 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.”

However, the document did not provide a detailed payment schedule or explain the administrative arrangements for disbursing the allowance.

Further clarification may therefore be required on the payment process and how the intervention will be implemented across the public service.

The agreement also provides for the payment of outstanding peculiar allowance arrears, with the government approving the arrears from May 1, 2026.

The payments are scheduled to begin in November and will be made in three equal monthly instalments.

The decision followed weeks of pressure from organised labour, which has repeatedly called on the government to address the financial difficulties facing Nigerian workers.

The NLC has raised concerns about the cost of transportation, fuel prices, unpaid entitlements and the implementation of agreements reached with the government.

The conciliation process was handled by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, which had earlier convened a meeting on October 22 to address the disagreements between both parties.

At the latest meeting, the NLC leadership expressed dissatisfaction with the pace at which some of its demands had been addressed.

The government, however, maintained that it was working to resolve the issues through established channels.

The memorandum stated that the NLC leadership “expressed concern over the Federal Government’s attitude towards the above issues.”

In response, the Federal Government “stated that it fully respect the right of the Congress to advocate for improved working conditions for Nigerian workers, and is genuinely trying to address every aspect of it through a structured intervention.”

NLC President, Joe Ajaero

Speaking after the meeting, NLC Assistant Secretary-General Chris Onyeka described the discussions as productive, although he acknowledged that the outcome did not fully meet labour’s expectations.

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

Onyeka also acknowledged that negotiations sometimes involved concessions from both sides, adding, “Sometimes you win some, lose some,” he said.

Despite the agreement on the transport allowance and outstanding payments, the two parties failed to resolve their differences over the effective date for implementing the national minimum wage.

They instead agreed to immediately establish a Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee to begin discussions.

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.”

Onyeka explained that the proposed committee would be tripartite, bringing together representatives of the government, organised labour and employers.

The unresolved issue comes against the background of the national minimum wage negotiations that led to an increase in the statutory monthly minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 in 2024.

The revised rate was subsequently enacted into law.

Although the latest meeting agreed to begin further discussions, the memorandum did not specify the exact proposal under consideration or indicate when the disagreement over the effective date would be resolved.

The NLC has continued to demand improved wages and the implementation of outstanding agreements as rising household expenses reduce workers’ purchasing power.

The transport allowance is one of the measures agreed upon during the latest negotiations, but several other demands remain unresolved.

This article first appeared on Politics Nigeria: https://politicsnigeria.com/2026/10/28/fg-approves-n70000-monthly-transport-allowance-for-workers/

The post FG Approves N70,000 Monthly Transport Allowance for Workers appeared first on Politics Nigeria.