Finance Minister says release of funds is at the final stage as government moves to clear wage award and promotion arrears for federal workers…..
The Federal Government has assured federal civil servants that the outstanding N35,000 wage award arrears will begin reaching eligible workers before the middle of August, saying the release of funds is now in its final phase.
The assurance comes as organised labour continues to press the government over delays in implementing key workers’ welfare agreements, including unpaid wage awards, promotion arrears and other outstanding allowances.
The commitment was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, during a meeting with the leadership of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Trade Side, led by its National President, Kabiru Ado Minjibir, in Abuja.
Details of the meeting were contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Efe Ovuakporie.
According to the statement, the government is finalising the necessary approvals for the release of funds, with payment expected to commence before the middle of August.
“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,” the minister said.
Oyedele reiterated the administration’s commitment to fulfilling agreements reached with workers, noting that efforts to address many of the issues raised by organised labour had already begun before the union’s latest formal communication.
“When the 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,” he said.
Beyond the wage award, the minister disclosed that outstanding promotion arrears are also being processed in line with established procedures. He directed officials of the ministry to review submissions presented by the negotiating council, engage relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and accelerate action on unresolved labour matters.
He acknowledged workers’ concerns over delays in implementing previous agreements but maintained that the government would continue to build trust through transparency, regular engagement and timely execution of its commitments.
“Our objective is to build a system where issues are resolved proactively. We want workers to have confidence that once government gives its word, it will honour that commitment,” he added.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, pledged closer collaboration with organised labour to ensure approved workers’ entitlements are processed without unnecessary delays.
He said the ministry would continue working with relevant government institutions to speed up the resolution of outstanding labour issues, stressing that constructive dialogue remains essential for maintaining industrial harmony.
The Permanent Secretary for Special Duties, Mohammed Sanusi Danjuma, disclosed that Batch 7 promotion arrears, which were omitted during an earlier payment exercise, are now being processed alongside Batch 9.
He expressed optimism that affected workers would begin receiving their outstanding entitlements once processing is completed, adding that discussions are also ongoing with relevant agencies to resolve issues surrounding the payment of the 40 per cent Peculiar Allowance and other pending labour-related claims.
Providing an update on the payment process, the Director of Cash Management, Christiana Osho, confirmed that reconciliation of the outstanding wage award had been completed.
According to her, only the final release of funds is outstanding, after which payments will commence immediately, while promotion arrears will continue to be processed according to the approved schedule.
Earlier, JPSNC President Kabiru Ado Minjibir urged the Federal Government to urgently address pending workers’ entitlements, identifying unpaid wage awards, promotion arrears, salary relativity for health workers and other unresolved welfare issues as priorities requiring immediate attention.
He said prompt implementation of the government’s outstanding commitments would strengthen industrial harmony and reinforce workers’ confidence in the administration.
The meeting ended with both the government and organised labour reaffirming their commitment to sustained dialogue aimed at resolving outstanding labour issues across the federal public service.
President Bola Tinubu approved the N35,000 monthly provisional wage award in October 2023 as a temporary measure to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal and the rising cost of living while negotiations on a new national minimum wage were ongoing.
Although payments began later that year, implementation became inconsistent, leaving several months unpaid.
In April 2025, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation announced that the remaining five months would be settled in instalments of N35,000 each. The first payment was made in May, followed by another instalment in August, while the remaining balance is expected to be cleared in phases.
The latest assurance comes just days after the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council demanded an urgent meeting with the finance minister over delays in the payment of two outstanding wage award instalments and the implementation of the 40 per cent Peculiar Allowance.
In a letter signed by the council’s National Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo, on behalf of National Chairman Benjamin Yanto, the union warned that continued delays could trigger unrest among federal workers if the outstanding issues are not addressed.
The council noted that two previous letters on the matter had gone unanswered, stressing that the proposed meeting was necessary to resolve workers’ welfare concerns and avert what it described as a “brewing industrial crisis.”
