FG Agrees N70,000 Monthly Transport Allowance for Workers

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The federal government has agreed to pay N70,000 in monthly transport support for public service workers across all levels for six months.

This deal was reached on Tuesday at a meeting between the central government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja.

The labour union had threatened to embark on industrial action if the national government failed to listen to the plights of the Nigerian workers.

The NLC claimed that its members were going through economic hardship because of the policies of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

On May 29, 2023, President Tinubu, at his inauguration speech, announced an end to petrol subsidy. He later liberalised the foreign exchange (FX) market, and then embarked on tax reform.

These actions have caused a spike in energy costs, which has resulted in a high cost of living, with some Nigerians finding it difficult to feed their families and others.

Though the government raised the minimum wage of workers from N30,000 per month to N70,000 per month, the amount barely covers their needs, prompting the NLC to call for palliatives to cushion the effect of the hardship.

At the meeting yesterday, the government said the N70,000 monthly transport allowance would take effect from November 2026.

It was also agreed that the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be set up. This team will commence meeting immediately, though the date for the effective date of implementation was not confirmed.

Business Post reports that the meeting was chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, with representatives of the federal government in attendance, while the NLC delegation was led by its president, Mr Joe Ajaero.