The Federal Government has approved a N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public service workers across all levels to help reduce the hardship caused by the rising cost of living in Nigeria.
The payment will begin in November 2026 and continue for six months.
The decision was reached on Tuesday during a meeting between the Federal Government and leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja.
The meeting followed growing concerns from labour unions over the welfare of Nigerian workers and agreements yet to be carried out by the government.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed after the meeting, the N70,000 transport allowance will be paid monthly to workers in the public service for six months.
The government also agreed to pay outstanding peculiar allowance arrears owed to workers from May 1, 2026.
The arrears will be paid in three equal monthly instalments, starting in November 2026.
However, the government and labour leaders could not agree on when the new national minimum wage should take effect.
Both sides agreed to set up a Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee to begin discussions immediately.
Those who signed the agreement included the Director-General of Budget, Timi Yakubu; NLC President, Joe Ajaero; the Permanent Secretary of the Service Welfare Office, Dr Garba Abdul S.U.; and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi.
Although the government has approved the transport allowance, the agreement did not state the exact dates workers would receive their monthly payments.
It also did not explain how the money would be paid.
The new allowance is expected to provide some relief to public service workers struggling with rising transport fares and the high cost of basic goods and services across the country.
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