- FG says wage award payments will begin before mid August
- Promotion arrears are also being processed for eligible workers
- Labour and government pledged continued dialogue on workers’ welfare
The Federal Government has assured federal civil servants that payment of the outstanding ₦35,000 wage award arrears will begin before the middle of August, with the release of funds now at the final stage of approval. It also said outstanding promotion arrears are being processed.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the the assurance comes amid growing concerns from organised labour over delays in implementing agreements on workers’ welfare, including unpaid wage awards, promotion arrears and other salary-related benefits.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, gave the assurance during a meeting with the leadership of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Trade Side, led by its National President, Kabiru Ado Minjibir, in Abuja.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head of the Information and Public Relations Unit of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Efe Ovuakporie.
According to the statement, the government is committed to meeting its obligations to workers and expects eligible public servants to begin receiving the outstanding wage award before mid-August.
Oyedele said the Tinubu administration had already started addressing several labour-related concerns before receiving the council’s formal communication, stressing that the government remained committed to fulfilling agreements reached with workers.
He said the administration would continue to provide realistic timelines for unresolved issues and ensure they are implemented.
The minister explained that the approval process for releasing the funds had reached its final stage, expressing confidence that payments would commence before the middle of the month.
He also assured labour leaders that outstanding promotion arrears were being processed in line with established procedures.
To speed up implementation, Oyedele directed officials of the ministry to review all submissions presented by the council, engage the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and fast-track action on pending labour matters.
He acknowledged workers’ concerns over delays in implementing previous agreements but said the government would continue to build trust through transparency and regular engagement with organised labour.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, also pledged stronger collaboration with labour unions to ensure approved workers’ entitlements are processed without unnecessary delays.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary for Special Duties, Mohammed Sanusi Danjuma, disclosed that Batch 7 promotion arrears, which had been omitted during an earlier payment exercise, were now being processed alongside Batch 9.
He added that the government was also working with relevant agencies to resolve issues relating to the payment of the Peculiar Allowance and other outstanding labour claims.
Providing an update on the payment process, the Director of Cash Management, Christiana Osho, said reconciliation of the outstanding wage award had been completed and that the release of funds was in its final phase.
She explained that eligible workers would begin receiving the arrears once the release was effected, while payment of promotion arrears would continue according to the approved schedule.
Earlier, JPSNC President Kabiru Ado Minjibir urged the Federal Government to expedite action on pending workers’ entitlements, including the outstanding wage award, promotion arrears, salary relativity for health workers and other unresolved welfare issues.
He said timely implementation of the outstanding commitments would strengthen industrial harmony and restore workers’ confidence in the government’s commitment to their welfare.
Both the government and labour representatives reaffirmed their commitment to continued dialogue and collaboration to resolve outstanding issues affecting federal public servants.
President Bola Tinubu approved the ₦35,000 monthly wage award in October 2023 as a temporary measure to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal and the rising cost of living while negotiations on a new national minimum wage were ongoing.
Although payments began later that year, implementation became irregular, leaving several months unpaid. In April 2025, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation announced that the outstanding five months would be settled in instalments after workers received their April salaries. Two tranches were subsequently paid, while the remaining balance is expected to be cleared in phases.
The latest assurance follows a recent appeal by the negotiating council for an urgent meeting with the Finance Minister over the delayed payment of the remaining wage award and the implementation of the 40 per cent Peculiar Allowance for federal workers.
The union had warned that failure to address the unresolved issues before August 11 could trigger widespread dissatisfaction among public servants and lead to industrial unrest
