Federal Government Raises University Workers’ Allowance to N486,000
- The federal government approved revised hazard allowances and earned benefits for non-teaching staff in federal universities
- Laboratory hazard allowances for senior NASU members on CONTISS 6-15 will rise by N126,000 annually under the new package
- The new remuneration package takes effect from January 1, 2026, following an agreement signed on June 29, 2026
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering education in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - The federal government has approved a new set of allowances for members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) in federal universities, covering hazard pay, responsibility allowances and several other earned benefits.
As reported by The Punch on Monday, July 27, the approval was contained in a circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) on July 20, 2026, and signed by Acting Secretary Adighiogu A. Chiadi. It was addressed to senior government officials including the Chief of Staff to the President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, among others.
Source: Twitter
The circular confirmed that the package takes effect from January 1, 2026, following an agreement the Federal Government reached with NASU on June 29, 2026.
Hazard and responsibility allowance changes
Among the most notable changes is the upward review of the laboratory, workshop, studio, clinical and occupational hazard allowance. Workers on CONTISS 1-5 will see their annual hazard pay rise from N180,000 to N243,000, an increase of N63,000, while those on CONTISS 6-15 will move from N360,000 to N486,000 annually, a gain of N126,000. Both figures fall short of what NASU had requested, which was N360,000 and N720,000 respectively.
Responsibility allowances for senior non-teaching officials also changed significantly. Registrars and bursars will receive N840,000 annually, up from N750,000, while directors, who had no such allowance previously, will now get N600,000 annually. Deputy registrars, deputy bursars and deputy directors will receive a new allowance of N480,000 annually, and heads of departments and units will move from N300,000 to N360,000 annually.
New allowances introduced
The government introduced a uniform and protective wear allowance for the first time, covering laboratory, workshop and studio personnel across all three CONTISS bands at N80,000 annually each.
Field trip, teaching practice and industrial supervision allowances were also reviewed upward. Workers on CONTISS 1-5 will receive N81,000 annually, those on CONTISS 6-12 will get N108,000, and those on CONTISS 13-15 will receive N135,000.
Similarly, the Students Work Experience Programme allowance was revised, with CONTISS 13-15 rates harmonised to N135,000 annually from a previous range of N60,000 to N100,000.
Source: Facebook
The circular also noted that the Excess Workload Allowance, currently paid at N3,500 per hour for officers on CONTISS 09-15, should be phased out without delay. NASU had proposed raising the rate to N10,000 per hour, but the government retained the existing figure pending the phase-out.
NASU had argued that most allowances in place were based on a 2009 agreement and had been severely eroded by inflation, naira depreciation and rising living costs. The union and its counterpart, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, have taken industrial action on multiple occasions in recent years to push for better conditions of service for non-teaching staff in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
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5 Nigerian universities make CWUR 2026 list
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR) released its 2026 Global 2000 list of top universities.
According to CWUR, 21,291 institutions were evaluated, with only the highest-performing universities making it into the Global 2000 list.
In the rankings, five Nigerian universities are featured among the 2,000 top tertiary institutions worldwide.
Source: Legit.ng
