Civil Servants Set Deadline for Government Over Stalled Allowance

Federal civil servants in Nigeria are threatening to halt work after giving the Federal Government a strict deadline over the postponed 40 per cent “peculiar” allowance that is part of the recently approved ₦70,000 minimum wage package.

Under the banner of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), the workers have set March 31 as the cutoff date for the government to issue the necessary circular and salary templates needed to activate the allowance.

In a strongly worded letter to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), union leaders criticised what they call an “undue delay” in processing the documents required to begin payments. They say thousands of public servants have been denied money they are entitled to because of inaction inside the commission.

The council claims it first wrote to the NSIWC back on September 1, 2025, but has seen no progress since then. Unless the commission responds positively before the end of the month, the workers warn they may embark on industrial action, potentially disrupting government operations nationwide.

The disputed allowance was designed to address disparities in pay and cushion workers after prolonged negotiations over rising living costs, inflation, and an increased minimum wage approved by the government.