The Federal Government has confirmed that it will begin paying the outstanding five-month arrears of the N35,000 wage award to federal workers immediately after the disbursement of April 2025 salaries. The arrears will be settled in monthly instalments until fully cleared.
This update was disclosed in a statement released on Monday by Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), and reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mokwa explained that although the government had earlier paid five months’ worth of the wage award in instalments, five additional months remain unpaid. He confirmed that the outstanding amount would now be paid in equal monthly instalments of N35,000, with the first payment scheduled to follow April’s salary disbursement.
“The Federal Government is to pay the outstanding five months’ N35,000 wage award arrears to workers,” Mokwa stated. “The first instalment will be paid after the April 2025 salary, followed by monthly payments until the arrears are fully cleared.”
The wage award is part of broader measures introduced by the Federal Government to cushion the economic impact of recent reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and other fiscal adjustments.
Mokwa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing all agreements on staff remuneration and welfare, emphasizing that such steps are essential for enhancing productivity and service delivery in the public sector.
- In 2023, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) proposed a wage award to support low-income federal workers amid the hardship caused by fuel subsidy removal.
- The Federal Government responded by introducing a N35,000 monthly wage award in September 2023 as a temporary measure.
- While partial payments were made between late 2023 and early 2024, arrears soon accumulated, prompting concerns from labour unions.
- In 2024, following further negotiations, the government approved a new national minimum wage of N70,000.
- The planned resumption of arrears payments is seen as a fulfilment of the government’s earlier promise to workers.
