The Federal Government has approved a N70,000 transport intervention for workers across all levels for six months, beginning in November 2026, as part of resolutions reached with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to address workers’ demands and economic challenges.
The agreement was reached during conciliation meetings held on October 22 and 27 at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja.
The meetings were chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, with the NLC delegation led by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.
According to a press release issued on Tuesday by the ministry, the Federal Government also approved the payment of peculiar allowance arrears, effective from May 1, 2026, with disbursement scheduled to begin in November.
The arrears will be paid in three equal monthly instalments.
The government further agreed to clear 19 months of outstanding allowances owed to health workers within three months, beginning in December 2026.
On the implementation of the national minimum wage, both parties agreed that a Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be constituted and commence meetings immediately. However, the effective date of implementation remains a subject of disagreement between the parties.
The meeting also considered workers’ demands for tax relief, with both parties agreeing that the request would be forwarded to the National Economic Council (NEC) for consideration, given the statutory nature of tax matters.
On the hazard allowance for agricultural workers, the ministry disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had submitted the list of beneficiaries and the associated cost implications to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) for verification.
The verification exercise is expected to be completed within two weeks, after which an implementation template will be issued.
Similarly, the NSIWC committed to providing an update on the cost implications of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) adjustment within three weeks.
The development is expected to pave the way for the Presidential Committee on Salaries to take a final decision on the proposed adjustment.
The meeting urged state and local governments to participate in the intervention process, while labour unions were encouraged to engage their respective subnational governments to ensure the implementation of the resolutions.
Both parties agreed to reconvene in one month to review progress and assess the level of implementation of the agreements.
The statement was signed by Annah Daniel, Head of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
