President Bola Tinubu has approved a N70,000 monthly transport support for federal public service workers across all grade levels for a period of six months, starting in November 2026, aimed at cushioning the impact of rising living costs.
The resolution was finalized during a conciliation meeting in Abuja between the Federal Government delegation, led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, following heightened demands over workers’ welfare and outstanding agreements.
The Federal Government also committed to clearing peculiar allowance arrears backdated to May 1, 2026, which will be paid in three equal monthly installments starting in November 2026.
Both parties agreed to immediately constitute the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee to determine an effective date for the execution of a new national minimum wage structure.
The latest agreement follows earlier conciliation talks convened on October 22, 2026, by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to resolve ongoing disputes between the government and organized labour.
The last official increase in the national minimum wage occurred in July 2024, when President Bola Tinubu signed the National Minimum Wage Act into law, raising the baseline monthly pay from N30,000 to N70,000. Prior to the 2024 legislation, the national minimum wage had been set at N30,000 under the National Minimum Wage Act of 2019.
Since assuming office, the present administration has rolled out several financial interventions and wage reliefs for public sector employees to offset economic shocks. Following the removal of the petrol subsidy in 2023, the Federal Government introduced a N35,000 monthly wage award for federal civil servants as a temporary palliative measure pending formal wage adjustments.
The administration also approved a 40 percent peculiar allowance for federal civil servants under consolidated salary structures to enhance take-home pay, alongside ongoing disbursements to clear backlogged promotion arrears across federal ministries, departments, and agencies.
