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Organised labour unions across the country have begun moves to compel state governments to implement the Federal Government’s N70,000 monthly transport allowance for workers, following the approval of the six-month relief package.
While the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Lagos State is seeking an increase to N100,000 monthly, its Kebbi counterpart is considering an allowance ranging from N40,000 to N70,000, depending on the financial capacity of the state government.
Labour leaders in several other states, including Kaduna, Benue, Bayelsa, Ondo, Edo, Rivers, Gombe and Niger, have also indicated plans to engage their respective governments on the initiative.
The Federal Government had approved the N70,000 monthly transport intervention for public sector workers across all levels for six months, beginning in November 2026, as part of efforts to cushion the effects of rising living costs. The decision followed a conciliation meeting with the NLC on Tuesday.
In Lagos State, the NLC Chairperson, Agnes Sesi, said the union would formally approach the state government to negotiate an allowance of N100,000, citing the high cost of transportation, accommodation and other essential needs.
Sesi, however, maintained that the state should not pay below the federal benchmark of N70,000 if it could not afford the proposed N100,000.
She said, “If the NLC is asking for N70,000, it should cut across states. If the state government cannot do more, we do not expect them to do less because of Lagos peculiarity.”
The labour leader also urged the government to commence implementation without delay, warning that workers would not accept a situation where payments accumulated as arrears.
In Kaduna State, the NLC Chairman, Ayuba Magaji, said the union would demand at least N70,000 monthly and had begun arrangements to formally write to Governor Uba Sani to initiate negotiations.
He described the federal approval as a starting point, adding that the union would seek a higher amount if the state government had the financial capacity.
Similarly, the Benue State NLC Chairman, Terungwa Igbe, said the union would insist on N70,000, although the state government had yet to commence discussions on the package.
The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Solomon Iorpev, however, said Governor Hyacinth Alia would support measures aimed at reducing the economic burden on residents.
In Bayelsa, the NLC Chairman, Barnabas Simon, insisted that the state should not be excluded from the initiative, arguing that workers across the country were experiencing similar economic challenges.
He maintained that Bayelsa operated within the same economic environment as other states and should therefore benefit from the agreement reached between organised labour and the Federal Government.
The Kebbi State NLC Chairman, Murtala Usman, disclosed that the union had begun lobbying members of the State House of Assembly to support its proposed transport allowance of between N40,000 and N70,000.
Usman said the final amount would be determined through negotiations, taking into consideration the state's financial capacity and the different categories of workers.
In Ondo State, the NLC Chairman, Ademola Olopade, said the union would meet with the state government in the coming days, stressing that his council would abide by the N70,000 agreement reached by the national leadership.
The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, also assured that the government would implement the transport relief package in line with the federal agreement.
The Edo State NLC caretaker committee Chairman, Prof. Monday Igbafen, equally said the union would engage the government on the implementation of the allowance, noting that industrial action would not be its immediate option unless the government proved uncooperative.
In Rivers State, the NLC Chairman, Alex Agwanwor, said the union had written to the state government, seeking an audience to discuss the implementation of the agreement.
He said the state council was committed to ensuring that workers benefited from the arrangement reached between the Federal Government and organised labour.
However, the Rivers State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Samuel Ogan, argued that a six-month transport allowance would not provide a sustainable solution to workers' economic challenges.
Ogan called for an increase in workers' wages, insisting that the government should address the broader cost-of-living crisis rather than rely on temporary relief measures.
He said, “It’s a good gesture, but the TUC is saying the economic hardship is beyond the N70,000 or palliative, and that it is not sustainable in the sense that it’s for a short period of six months.”
The Gombe State NLC Chairman, Yusuf Bello, said the union had received directives from its national headquarters and would formally approach the state government, insisting that negotiations should not begin below N70,000.
In Niger State, the NLC had also initiated moves to discuss the package with the government, but Chairman Idris Lafene said negotiations were yet to commence because the Head of Service was unavailable.
Meanwhile, the Abia State NLC Chairman, Ogbonnaya Okoro, said the union would demand the full N70,000 allowance for six months without allowing the arrangement to interfere with ongoing or future minimum wage negotiations.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Abia State Governor, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said it was premature for the government to comment until the Federal Government released the implementation details.
In Sokoto and Kano states, the NLC chairmen, Abdullahi Jungle and Kabiru Inuwa, respectively, said they were awaiting official guidelines from the national headquarters before approaching their governments.
The Osun State TUC Chairman, Abimbola Fasasi, meanwhile, said organised labour had been engaging Governor Ademola Adeleke on measures to alleviate workers' hardship, which he attributed partly to the non-release of local government allocations to the state's councils since February 2025.
In Ogun State, the TUC Chairman, Akeem Lasisi, said organised labour had yet to initiate discussions on the federal package but was seeking an extension of the existing N10,000 transport support provided to public officers.
He disclosed that the union planned to meet the state government the following week to determine its next line of action.
