The Federal Government has started paying the N35,000 wage award arrears to its employees, months after the announcement was made.
The payment, which comes in five instalments, is meant to help workers deal with the rising cost of living following the removal of fuel subsidy and other economic changes.
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) made this known in a statement released on Monday in Abuja.
According to the update, many workers have already received the first installment, while others who are yet to be paid will get theirs soon.
Each worker is expected to receive a total of N175,000, spread over five instalments of N35,000.
The payment is part of the government’s earlier promise to ease the pressure on workers while discussions on a new minimum wage continue.
The OAGF also responded to some reports claiming the wage award was not included in the 2025 budget.
It described those reports as false and confirmed that there was no official announcement made by the Accountant General on the exclusion of the wage award.
The federal government introduced the wage award as a temporary support measure for its workforce after the fuel subsidy removal led to a rise in prices of goods and services.
Labour unions had consistently called for the implementation of the payment, pushing the government to act on its earlier promise.
The government has now assured that all outstanding arrears will be fully paid and has asked workers who have not yet received theirs to remain patient, as their payments are being processed through the payroll system.
This development is expected to ease some of the financial burden on federal workers who have been struggling with inflation and other economic challenges.
