The Federal Government has begun the long-awaited payment of wage award arrears to civil servants across the country. The payment, which started at the end of May 2025, covers the N35,000 monthly wage award promised to federal workers months ago.
According to the Director of Media at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Bawa Mokwa, the arrears will be paid in phases over the next four months. He revealed that the government has already disbursed the first month’s payment, while the remaining four months will be settled in installments.
Mokwa explained that the N35,000 wage award was introduced as an interim measure to provide relief for federal workers pending the full implementation of the new national minimum wage. He added that some government agencies, such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), are handling their payments independently.
This was done over a five-month period, but due to delays in commencement, arrears accumulated. We have now paid the first month. The remaining four months will be cleared gradually, he stated.
In addition, Mokwa confirmed that the Federal Government has now fully implemented the N70,000 minimum wage across all ministries, departments, and parastatals. This development comes after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law in July 2024, following extensive negotiations with labour unions.
However, the government’s recent move has not completely eased tensions with labour groups. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), through its spokesperson Benson Upah, had earlier criticized the delay in wage payments, describing it as a “betrayal of trust” and “shameful.” He argued that civil servants had been left to struggle under rising economic hardship despite promises from the government.
This is a betrayal of trust and an abuse of our patience, Upah stated during a televised interview on Sallah Day. “It’s completely unacceptable.”
Despite the federal government’s assurances, reports indicate that the implementation of the new minimum wage remains inconsistent at the state level. Many state governments are yet to fully adopt the new wage structure, nearly a year after the legislation was passed.
Efforts to obtain further reactions from labour representatives were unsuccessful as of the time of this report.
