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The Bayelsa State Government has approved additional allowances for public servants and workers in tertiary institutions, increasing its monthly salary expenditure by approximately ₦3 billion from October 2026.
The approval comprises more than ₦900 million monthly for workers in tertiary institutions and about ₦2 billion for other categories of public servants.
The disclosure was made on Friday, October 30, during the state government's transparency briefing on its income and expenditure for August and September 2026.
The Technical Adviser on Treasury, Accounts and Revenue to Governor Douye Diri, Timipre Seipolu, said the allowances were introduced to improve workers' welfare and recognise the peculiar demands of different professional groups.
He explained that payment of the special allowances for tertiary institution workers would commence in October, while the government had also undertaken to clear outstanding arrears dating back to January 2026.
Seipolu said the additional allowances for other public servants would account for about ₦2 billion monthly, bringing the total increase in the state's salary expenditure to approximately ₦3 billion.
He said the two components would take effect from October 2026, representing a significant increase in the state's monthly wage obligations.
The treasury adviser disclosed that approximately 65,411 workers were covered by the state's salary payment arrangements, with different professional groups operating separate salary structures and allowance systems.
He listed doctors, nurses, investigators, civil servants, university employees and fire service personnel among the categories benefiting from the arrangements.
