The Federal Government has assured federal civil servants that payment of outstanding N35,000 wage award arrears will begin before the middle of August, saying the approval process for the release of funds is at its final stage.
The assurance was given amid renewed concerns from organised labour over delays in implementing workers’ welfare agreements, including unpaid wage awards, promotion arrears and salary-related allowances.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, gave the commitment during a meeting with the leadership of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Side) led by its National President, Kabiru Ado Minjibir, in Abuja.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head of Information and Public Relations Unit of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Efe Ovuakporie.
The statement said the government had assured public servants that the outstanding wage award would be paid before mid-August, while promotion arrears were being processed as part of efforts to fulfil commitments made to workers.
Oyedele said the administration had already started addressing several concerns raised by labour, adding that President Bola Tinubu’s government remained committed to honouring agreements reached with workers.
“When government makes commitments, it delivers. We are not in the habit of making promises that cannot be fulfilled. Where there are outstanding issues, we will give realistic timelines and ensure they are implemented,” the minister said.
He disclosed that the approval process for releasing funds had reached its concluding stage and expressed confidence that eligible workers would begin receiving their outstanding wage awards before the middle of the month.
“The necessary release for payment of the outstanding wage award is being concluded, and we are confident that eligible public servants will begin receiving the payment before the middle of the month,” Oyedele stated.
The minister also assured labour leaders that outstanding promotion arrears were being processed according to established procedures.
He directed officials of the ministry to immediately review submissions presented by the council, engage relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and accelerate action on unresolved labour matters.
Oyedele acknowledged concerns from organised labour over delays in implementing previous agreements but said the government would continue to strengthen confidence through transparency and regular engagement.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, also pledged closer cooperation with labour representatives to ensure approved workers’ entitlements are processed without unnecessary delays.
He said the ministry would continue working with relevant government institutions to resolve pending labour issues and maintain industrial harmony through constructive dialogue.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mohammed Sanusi Danjuma, disclosed that Batch 7 promotion arrears, which were excluded from an earlier payment exercise, were now being processed alongside Batch 9.
He expressed confidence that affected workers would receive their entitlements once the processing was completed.
Danjuma added that the government was also working with relevant agencies to resolve issues surrounding the payment of the Peculiar Allowance and other outstanding labour-related claims.
Providing an update on the wage award payment process, the Director of Cash Management, Christiana Osho, said reconciliation of the outstanding payments had been completed.
She explained that the payment release was at the final stage and eligible workers would begin receiving their arrears immediately after the release was effected.
Earlier, the President of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Kabiru Ado Minjibir, urged the government to urgently address outstanding workers’ entitlements.
He listed the unpaid wage award, promotion arrears, salary relativity for health workers and other welfare issues as matters requiring immediate attention.
According to him, timely implementation of the agreements would strengthen industrial harmony and improve workers’ confidence in the government’s commitment to their welfare.
The meeting ended with both parties reaffirming their commitment to sustained dialogue and collaboration to resolve outstanding labour issues within the federal public service.
The N35,000 monthly provisional wage award was approved by President Tinubu in October 2023 as a temporary measure to cushion the impact of petrol subsidy removal and rising living costs.
The payment was initially approved for six months while negotiations on a new national minimum wage continued. However, implementation became irregular, leaving several months unpaid.
In April 2025, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation announced that the five outstanding months would be paid in instalments after workers received their April salaries.
The first tranche was paid in May 2025, while the second tranche followed in August 2025, leaving remaining payments to be settled in phases.
The latest assurance comes days after the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council demanded an urgent meeting with the minister over delays in paying two months of wage award arrears and implementing the 40 per cent peculiar allowance for federal workers.
The union had warned that failure to resolve the issues could increase dissatisfaction among public servants and trigger industrial tension.
In a letter signed by the council’s National Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo, on behalf of the National Chairman, Benjamin Yanto, the union expressed disappointment over the lack of response to previous letters requesting discussions on workers’ welfare concerns.
The council said the proposed meeting was aimed at finding a solution to outstanding demands and preventing a possible industrial crisis.
