The Federal Government has officially commenced disbursing the long-overdue N35,000 wage award arrears to its workforce, marking a significant move in its pledge to ease economic pressures on employees.
This update was contained in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), and signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr. Bawa Mokwa.
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As per the release, numerous federal employees have already received the initial tranche of the payment. Those yet to be paid are expected to receive their funds in the coming days.
Each beneficiary is entitled to five monthly instalments of N35,000, which will total N175,000.
Addressing recent media claims suggesting that the wage award was omitted from the 2025 national budget, the OAGF refuted the reports and maintained that no such statement was made by the current Accountant General, Mr. Babatunde Ogunjimi.
“There was no press briefing by the Accountant General on the matter of wage award,” the statement read. “Any report quoting him as excluding the N35,000 from the 2025 budget is entirely false.”
The Office further affirmed its commitment to honoring all pending payments related to the wage award, reiterating the government’s assurance to organized labour and civil service workers.
The wage award was introduced as a temporary relief package by the Federal Government to alleviate the financial strain caused by the removal of fuel subsidies and ongoing economic reforms.
It serves as a stopgap pending the outcome of discussions on a revised national minimum wage. The release of these funds follows persistent calls from labour unions urging the government to fulfill its obligations.
It is anticipated that the payments will offer much-needed financial respite for workers currently facing the challenges of inflation and high living costs.
The OAGF also encouraged workers who have not yet received their payments to remain patient, noting that the payroll system is actively processing all outstanding balances.
