FG APPROVES N70,000 MONTHLY TRANSPORTATION ALLOWANCE FOR WORKERS TO CUSHION THE IMPACT OF RISING LIVING COSTS
The Federal Government has approved a ₦70,000 monthly transport intervention for public service workers across all levels for six months, beginning in November 2026, as part of measures to cushion the impact of rising living costs.
The approval was reached during a conciliation meeting between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja on Tuesday, October 27, following renewed discussions over workers’ welfare, the cost of living and outstanding agreements.
According to the memorandum of understanding signed after the meeting, “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.”
The government also approved the payment of outstanding peculiar allowance arrears from May 1, 2026, to be settled in three equal monthly instalments starting from November.
However, the government and labour failed to reach an agreement on the effective date for implementing the national minimum wage. They instead agreed to immediately constitute the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee and begin discussions.
The document stated, “It was agreed that the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be constituted and commence meeting immediately. It should however be noted that there is a disagreement on the effective date of implementation.”
The NLC had expressed concerns over the government’s handling of its demands, with the memorandum noting that the union’s leadership “expressed concern over the Federal Government’s attitude towards the above issues.”
In response, the government said it fully respects the right of the Congress to advocate for improved working conditions for Nigerian workers and was genuinely trying to address every aspect of it through a structured intervention.