FG Begins February Salary Payments, Blames Technical Glitch for Delay

The Federal Government has started disbursing February 2026 salaries to workers paid from the federal treasury, attributing the earlier delay to a technical issue in the payment system.

In a statement released on Monday, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) confirmed that salary payments were underway across the country. It explained that a technical hitch disrupted the process but has now been resolved.

“The delay in the payment of February 2026 salaries was due to a technical glitch, which has been fixed. Necessary measures have been implemented to prevent a recurrence,” the statement noted.

The OAGF also announced that approval has been secured for the payment of one month’s wage award arrears out of the three months currently owed to federal workers. Processing for that payment has been completed, with plans to clear the remaining arrears beginning in March.

Labour Tension Over Unpaid Arrears

The development comes amid growing tension between the Federal Government and organised labour. Last week, unions under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side) issued a February 27 ultimatum, demanding the immediate release of funds to settle three months of outstanding wage awards and other unpaid allowances.

In a letter addressed to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the unions warned that failure to meet their demands would result in decisive industrial action by the eight civil service unions.

They accused the government of withholding funds meant for workers, insisting that payroll agencies were prepared to process payments once the Ministry of Finance released the necessary funds.

Payment Timeline for Arrears

The ultimatum followed a high-level meeting between government officials and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). After the meeting, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, outlined a phased plan for clearing the arrears.

According to a statement shared via the Ministry of Labour’s official X account, Edun said:

The May 2024 wage award arrears will be paid alongside the February 2026 salary.

The June 2024 arrears will be settled after the March salary.

The July 2024 arrears will be paid after the April salary.


The meeting, convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, was held against the backdrop of labour’s threat to picket the Ministry of Finance over the prolonged delay in workers’ entitlements.

With salary payments now underway and a timeline announced for outstanding arrears, attention will shift to whether the government meets its commitments and eases tensions with organised labour in the coming weeks.