The Federal Government has approved a monthly transport allowance of ₦70,000 for public service workers for six months, beginning in November 2026, as part of efforts to ease the burden of rising living costs.The agreement was reached at a conciliation meeting between the government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja on Tuesday, October 27, following renewed demands by organised labour for improved workers’ welfare.The resolution was signed for the Federal Government by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi; Director-General of Budget, Timi Yakubu; and Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Garba Abdul.The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and the National Secretary of the Joint National Public Service Negotiation Council, Olowoye Gbenga, signed on behalf of organised labour.Under the agreement, the government also approved the payment of outstanding peculiar allowance arrears dating from May 1, 2026. The arrears will be paid in three equal monthly instalments beginning in November.The parties further agreed to settle 19 months of outstanding allowances owed to health workers within three months, starting in December 2026.On the proposed review of the national minimum wage, both parties agreed to immediately constitute a Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee. However, they failed to reach an agreement on the effective date for implementing the revised wage, leaving the matter unresolved.Other issues discussed at the meeting included tax relief for workers, hazard allowances for agricultural workers and the proposed adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).On tax relief, the government and labour leaders agreed to refer the matter to the National Executive Council, noting that taxation is a statutory issue.Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has submitted the list of beneficiaries and the cost implications of hazard allowances for agricultural workers to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission for verification.The commission is expected to complete the exercise within two weeks and issue an implementation template thereafter.Similarly, the commission has been tasked with completing an updated cost assessment for the proposed CONHESS adjustment within three weeks to enable the Presidential Committee on Salaries to consider the proposal.The resolution also called on state and local governments to participate in the intervention process, while urging labour unions to pursue the implementation of the agreed measures.Both parties agreed to reconvene after one month to review progress on the implementation of the resolutions.While the agreement offers temporary financial relief and provides a framework for settling outstanding allowances, the proposed minimum wage review and other workers’ welfare demands remain subject to further negotiations and implementation.
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