The Federal Government has approved a 35 per cent increase in hazard allowances for junior and senior members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) working in federal universities.
The revised allowances, which take effect from 1 January 2026, follow an agreement reached between the Federal Government and NASU on 29 June 2026.
The approval was conveyed in a circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) on 20 July 2026. The circular was addressed to the Chief of Staff to the President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, ministers, and heads of government agencies.
According to the circular, the government approved new hazard and responsibility allowances for non-teaching staff in federal universities following negotiations with the union.
Under the revised package, the annual laboratory hazard allowance for employees on the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) 1–5 increased from ₦180,000 to ₦243,000, representing a 35 per cent rise. Employees on CONTISS 6–15 will now receive ₦486,000 annually, up from ₦360,000.
During negotiations, NASU had proposed annual hazard allowances of ₦360,000 for employees on CONTISS 1–5 and ₦720,000 for those on CONTISS 6–15.
Senior non-teaching staff also benefited from the review. The annual responsibility allowance for registrars and bursars increased from ₦750,000 to ₦840,000, while deputy registrars, deputy bursars, and deputy directors will now receive ₦480,000 annually.
The government also approved a new annual responsibility allowance of ₦600,000 for directors, who previously had no approved entitlement under the package. Heads of sections will now receive an annual responsibility allowance of ₦150,000.
Other allowances reviewed
The Federal Government also approved increases in field trip, teaching practice, and industrial supervision allowances.
Under the revised rates, employees on CONTISS 1–5 will receive ₦81,000 annually, up from ₦60,000, while those on CONTISS 6–12 will receive ₦108,000, compared with the previous ₦80,000. Staff on CONTISS 13–15 will now receive ₦135,000 annually, an increase from ₦100,000.
The Students’ Work Experience Programme (SWEP) allowance was also reviewed upwards. Employees on CONTISS 1–5 will now receive ₦81,000 annually, while those on CONTISS 6–12 will earn ₦108,000. For staff on CONTISS 13–15, the previous allowance structure has been harmonised at ₦135,000 annually.
The circular further stated that the Provision Tools Allowance had been merged into the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CATA), while supplementation for laboratory students-to-staff ratios would henceforth be accommodated under excess workload arrangements.
The review followed months of negotiations between the Federal Government and NASU after the union argued that allowances established under the 2009 agreement had been significantly eroded by inflation and the rising cost of living.
