The Federal Government has approved a ₦70,000 monthly transport allowance for workers for six months from November, while agreeing to begin minimum wage negotiations with organised labour amid unresolved disputes over implementation timelines and outstanding welfare payments.
The decisions followed a conciliation meeting between government representatives and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja on Tuesday.
Under the agreement, eligible workers are expected to receive the transport intervention monthly from November 2026 to April 2027. The resolution, however, did not specify the payment mechanism, the total number of beneficiaries or the overall cost of the programme.
The parties also agreed to constitute a Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee immediately. However, they did not settle their disagreement over when a new national minimum wage should take effect, leaving a central labour demand unresolved.
The outcome offers workers a time-limited financial intervention, but it does not establish a new minimum wage or guarantee a permanent increase in earnings.
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Allowances and health-sector arrears
The agreement provides for outstanding peculiar allowances owed to eligible public servants to be paid in three equal monthly instalments beginning in November. The allowances were approved with effect from May 1, 2026.
Government and labour representatives also agreed to settle 19 months of outstanding allowances owed to health workers within three months, starting in December.
These commitments address specific payment delays, although the resolutions did not disclose the total amounts involved or the number of workers expected to benefit.
The meeting also considered petrol prices, tax relief, adjustments to the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), hazard allowances for agricultural workers and other welfare concerns.
No agreement to reduce petrol prices was announced. On tax relief, the parties agreed to refer the matter to the National Economic Council, noting that taxation falls under statutory processes.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had submitted the list of agricultural officers entitled to hazard allowances, alongside the financial implications, to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission for verification.
Pensioners demand unpaid relief
Separately, the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN) called on President Bola Tinubu to authorise payment of three months of outstanding ₦25,000 subsidy-removal palliatives for vulnerable citizens.
In a communiqué issued after its National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, the association also sought pension harmonisation, payment of outstanding entitlements and improved healthcare access for retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
FEPPPAN expressed concern about the implementation of pension harmonisation, which it said took effect in January 2026. It requested the release of the government circular governing the policy to clarify its terms and implications for pensioners.
The twin developments highlight the pressure facing government as workers and retirees contend with rising living costs.
The immediate test for the labour agreement will be timely payment. Without a published funding breakdown, clear disbursement procedures and a settled minimum wage implementation date, workers still face uncertainty over how quickly the commitments will improve their financial position.
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