Nigeria Approves 70,000-Naira Monthly Transport Support for Six Months

Nigeria’s federal government agreed on October 27 to provide public service workers with a monthly transport intervention of 70,000 naira for six months, beginning in November 2026. The agreement followed a conciliation meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress in Abuja, continuing talks held on October 22. The signed memorandum said the intervention “would be paid across all levels for a period of six months.” Labour Minister Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi and NLC President Joe Ajaero were among its signatories. The government also approved payment of peculiar allowance arrears effective May 1, 2026, in three equal monthly instalments starting in November. The transport intervention is separate from Nigeria’s statutory minimum wage, which rose from 30,000 to 70,000 naira in 2024. The memorandum recorded the Congress’s concern about the government’s handling of its demands. The government said it respected the union’s right to seek improved working conditions and was addressing the issues through structured intervention. The effective date for implementing the national minimum wage remained disputed, so the agreement did not settle every issue raised in the talks. The parties also agreed to constitute a Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee and begin meetings immediately. The memorandum set November as the start of the transport payments and allowance-arrears instalments, but did not specify a monthly payment day or administrative arrangements for disbursement.