Federal Government Sets N70,000 Monthly Transport Allowance for Workers

The federal government has given the green light for a monthly transport allowance of ₦70,000 for public service workers at all levels. This will start in November 2026 and will last for six months. The decision came after a meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Annah Daniel, who heads press and public relations at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, signed the statement announcing this.

This approval was one of the agreements made during talks between government officials and NLC leaders in Abuja on Tuesday. They discussed the welfare of workers, the national minimum wage, and unpaid allowances.

The government also agreed to pay the peculiar allowance arrears starting from 1 May 2026. This will be paid in three equal monthly instalments beginning in November.

But they could not agree on when to implement the national minimum wage. They decided to set up the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee to start meeting right away.

The details of the agreements were outlined in a memorandum of understanding released after the meeting, which was led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi.

Joe Ajaero, the NLC president, headed the union’s delegation.

This meeting followed an earlier conciliation session that took place on 22 October. This session was called by the Ministry of Labour and Employment to resolve issues between the government and organized labour.

As part of the agreements, the government will also pay 19 months of outstanding allowances owed to health workers within three months, starting in December 2026.

Regarding tax relief for workers, they agreed to send this issue to the NLC’s National Executive Council since taxation is a legal matter.

The meeting also looked into paying hazard allowances for agricultural workers. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security sent the list of beneficiaries and costs to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission for review.

The commission aims to finish the verification in two weeks and will provide an implementation plan afterward.

For the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), the commission is expected to update the cost implications within three weeks. This will help the Presidential Committee on Salaries to make a decision on the proposed changes.

The meeting called on state and local governments to adopt these measures. Labour unions were also encouraged to advocate for their implementation in their areas.

Both parties agreed to meet again in a month to check on the progress of these agreements.

People present at the meeting included Tanimu Yakubu, the Director-General of Budget; Garba Abdul, the Permanent Secretary of the Service Welfare Office; and other representatives from the government and labour.