Federal Govt Approves N70,000 Monthly Transport Support For Workers

|  Payment begins November for 6 months  | NLC, Labour Ministry agree to constitute minimum wage negotiation committee

The federal government has approved a monthly transport intervention of N70,000 for workers across all levels of the public service for six months, beginning from November 2026.

The decision followed an agreement reached with organised labour over rising living costs and outstanding workers’ welfare demands.

The agreement was reached yesterday at a meeting between the federal government and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Under the agreement, payment of arrears of the approved peculiar allowance will also begin in November and be completed in three equal monthly instalments.

The meeting further resolved that the National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be constituted immediately and commence work, although both parties disagreed over the effective date for implementing the outcome of the negotiations.

The meeting, convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, followed an earlier round of talks on October 22 to address concerns raised by organised labour.

Those who signed the agreement on behalf of the federal government included the Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu; the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Garba Abdul S.U.; and Dingyadi, who served as conciliator.

The labour delegation was represented by the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and the National Secretary of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Comrade Gbenga Olowoyo.

The agreement stated that the federal government had approved the peculiar allowance with effect from May 1, 2026, with payment of outstanding arrears scheduled to commence in November.

The parties also agreed that 19 months of outstanding allowances owed to health workers would be paid within three months, beginning in December 2026.

On the demand for hazard allowance for agricultural officers, the meeting noted that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had submitted the list of beneficiaries and the associated financial implications to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) for verification.

The verification is expected to be completed within two weeks, after which the commission will issue an implementation template.

Regarding the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), the NSIWC is expected to update the cost implications within three weeks to enable the Presidential Committee on Salaries to make a decision.

The demand for tax relief for workers was referred to the NLC’s National Executive Council, with the meeting noting that taxation was a statutory matter.

The parties also urged state and local governments to participate in the intervention process and called on labour unions to press for the implementation of the resolutions.

On the minimum wage negotiations, the resolutions stated: “It was agreed that the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be constituted and to commence meeting immediately. It should, however, be noted that there is a disagreement on the effective date of implementation.”

On the transport intervention, the document 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.”

On the peculiar allowance, it stated: “The peculiar allowance has been approved by the Federal Government effective from 1 May 2026. The payment of the arrears would commence in November, 2026 in three equal monthly instalments.”

Regarding outstanding allowances owed to health workers, the resolutions stated: “Nineteen (19) Months arrears of allowances for Health Workers to be redeemed within three (3) months with effect from December, 2026.”

On the implementation review, the document stated: “Both parties to reconvene after a period of one month to appraise the level of implementation of the resolution.”

The key resolutions, therefore, cover the transport intervention, payment of outstanding allowances, the proposed minimum wage negotiations and the review of other workers’ welfare issues.

While the N70,000 monthly transport intervention will run for six months from November, peculiar allowance arrears will be paid in three equal instalments beginning the same month. The 19 months of outstanding allowances owed to health workers are to be cleared within three months from December.

The government is also expected to complete verification of agricultural officers’ hazard allowance within two weeks and update the cost implications of the CONHESS adjustment within three weeks.

Meanwhile, the proposed minimum wage negotiations are expected to begin immediately after the committee is constituted, although the parties have yet to agree on the effective date for implementing the outcome. The demand for tax relief remains subject to consideration by the NLC’s National Executive Council.

Both parties agreed to reconvene after one month to assess implementation of the resolutions.

LEADERSHIP reported that the NLC had issued a two-week ultimatum to the federal government on October 9, demanding the commencement of negotiations on a new national minimum wage, a reduction in petrol pump prices, palliatives for workers and the resolution of outstanding public service welfare issues.

The ultimatum expired on October 22 without a breakthrough, prompting organised labour to set October 27 as a fresh deadline for meaningful progress.