Many federal civil servants have called on the Federal Government to clear the outstanding two months’ arrears of the N35,000 wage award.
The government workers made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, decrying the delay in the payment of the arrears.
A medical worker, Ibrahim Abbas, said there was no acceptable reason for the prolonged delay in settling the outstanding arrears of the wage award.
According to him, the money is urgently needed to cushion the effects of worsening economic hardship.
“The condition of government workers has never been this bad. The Federal Government needs to take all necessary steps to clear the outstanding arrears of the wage award,” he said.
Abbas, however, commended the Federal Government for the recent payment of the third tranche of the wage award.
Another civil servant, Mr. Patrick Ugo, also urged the Federal Government to settle the arrears without further delay.
“The government should realise that the present minimum wage of N70,000 is unrealistic. The wage award will give workers some relief.
“I urge the Federal Government, through the Accountant-General of the Federation, to pay the outstanding two months, totalling N70,000, alongside the March salaries,” he said.
Mr. Sule Aliu urged the Federal Government to make the N35,000 wage award a permanent addition to the monthly salaries of civil servants.
According to Aliu, such a move would go a long way in alleviating the financial pressure faced by workers.
Sani Garba also urged the Federal Government to fulfil its obligations to civil servants without delay to prevent labour agitation.
According to Garba, the government should consider current economic realities and make the wage award a permanent component of workers’ salaries.
NAN reports that the wage award was introduced as a temporary payment to workers in 2023 to ease the burden of fuel subsidy removal, supplementing salaries while negotiations for a new national minimum wage were ongoing.
It was intended as a cost-of-living adjustment. However, payments have experienced delays, causing frustration and prompting labour unions to demand full implementation and clearance of the arrears.
In April 2025, the Federal Government announced that it would pay the outstanding five months of the N35,000 wage award arrears to workers.
The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) said the Federal Government had earlier paid five months of the wage award in instalments.
It explained that the outstanding arrears would be paid in instalments of N35,000 per month over five months.
The OAGF also stated that the Federal Government remained committed to fully implementing all policies and agreements concerning staff remuneration and welfare in order to enhance productivity and efficiency.
However, after the first instalment was paid in May 2025, the second instalment was not paid until August 2025, while the third instalment was recently paid on March 6.
This leaves two months’ payments outstanding, amounting to N70,000.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said it is committed to clearing the remaining two months’ arrears of the N35,000 wage award.
Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), said payment was subject to the availability of funds.
Mokwa explained that following the payment of the third tranche in February, two tranches remained to settle the wage award arrears.
“Contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the Federal Government has not reneged on payment of the wage award arrears. The payment of the third tranche clearly attests to this.
“The Federal Government will continue to pay the wage award in instalments of N35,000 per month until the outstanding arrears are exhausted,” he said.
