Nigeria’s federal government has approved a far-reaching package of salary and welfare reforms for civil servants, including higher allowances, expanded benefits and a new retirement exit scheme, in what officials describe as a renewed push to strengthen the public service.
Briefing journalists in Abuja after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council, the head of the civil service of the federation, Didi Walson-Jack, said the measures would apply across officers on the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure and the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure.
At the centre of the changes is a comprehensive increase in so-called “peculiar allowances” — payments designed to reflect the specific demands of different roles. According to Walson-Jack, the revised framework has been calibrated to deliver higher take-home pay across all grade levels.
“The revised allowance has been structured to reflect across all grade levels, resulting in a meaningful increase in take-home pay across different cadres,” she said, adding that the reforms are intended to support both junior officers and senior professionals.
The overhaul also includes upward revisions to key benefits such as duty tour allowance, estacode and book allowance — a move she described as a broad reset of welfare provisions under the public service rules.
In a notable shift, the government has approved 100% duty tour allowance for civil servants attending officially sanctioned training programmes, regardless of whether travel is involved. The change means that workers based in Abuja, for instance, will receive full allowances even when attending local training sessions.
Officials say the policy is designed to remove financial barriers to professional development and signal a stronger commitment to human capital investment within government institutions.
Perhaps the most consequential element of the package is a new exit benefit scheme for retiring workers under the contributory pension system. Effective from 1 January 2026, the scheme guarantees a payout equivalent to 100% of a civil servant’s total annual emoluments, in addition to existing pension entitlements.
“No civil servant who has dedicated their working life to this nation should walk out of government empty-handed,” Walson-Jack said.
The government has also activated the Employee Compensation Scheme, offering protection to workers and their families in cases of job-related injury or death — an intervention aimed at strengthening social safety nets within the public sector.
Peculiar allowances have long been a point of contention between labour unions and the government, particularly amid rising living costs. The latest reforms are expected to ease some of that pressure while addressing concerns over retention and productivity.
Taken together, the measures form part of a broader effort by the federal government to modernise the civil service, improve morale and reposition it as a more competitive employer in an increasingly strained labour market.
