Tension is building across Nigeria’s public sector as federal civil servants signal a possible nationwide strike starting May 21, following a dispute over the implementation of a newly approved 40% peculiar allowance.
The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council has accused the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission of unilaterally altering the calculation of the allowance and sidelining labour unions in the process. According to the council, the commission’s methodology lacks transparency and undermines trust among workers.
Union leaders Benjamin Uyanto and Olowoyo Gbenga argued that the allowance should be calculated based on the ₦70,000 national minimum wage as provided in the National Minimum Wage Act 2024. They claim the current computation deviates from this benchmark and may have been designed to delay implementation and reduce financial commitments.
While acknowledging recent welfare approvals by Bola Tinubu and the Head of Service Esther Walson-Jack, the union insists that the allowance issue remains unresolved and critical. It is demanding a clear and transparent circular detailing the correct figures, alongside full inclusion of stakeholders in any future negotiations.
Labour observers warn that if both sides fail to reach a compromise quickly, the situation could escalate into one of the most significant disruptions in the federal civil service in recent years, with wide-reaching implications for government operations nationwide.