Nigeria TV Info 

FG Approves 40% Peculiar Allowance for Civil Servants After Strike Threat

The Federal Government has approved the implementation of a 40 percent peculiar allowance for federal civil servants following mounting pressure and threats of industrial action by organised labour unions in Nigeria.

The approval was reportedly finalised after a marathon meeting chaired by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Esther Walson-Jack, in Abuja. During the meeting, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) released the official circular authorising the implementation of the allowance.

The development ends nearly two years of agitation by workers under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), who had accused government agencies of delaying the implementation of salary adjustments tied to the new N70,000 minimum wage structure. Labour unions had earlier threatened a nationwide strike scheduled for May 21 if the allowance was not approved.

According to union leaders, the allowance will take effect from May 1, 2026, and is expected to improve workers’ welfare amid worsening economic hardship and rising living costs across the country. The JNPSNC described the decision as a major victory for civil servants and praised the intervention of the Office of the Head of Service in resolving the lingering dispute.

Government officials also stated that the revised package forms part of broader public service reforms aimed at improving morale, enhancing productivity, and ensuring better compensation for workers under the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) and related salary frameworks.