The Federal Government says it has begun paying February 2026 salaries to treasury-funded workers and will start clearing outstanding wage award arrears from March, following pressure from organised labour.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), the government confirmed that salary payments commenced the same day.
“The delay in the payment of the February 2026 salaries was due to a technical hitch, which has been tackled, and necessary measures have been put in place to prevent a recurrence,” the statement said.
The OAGF also disclosed that approval had been secured and processing completed for the payment of one month’s wage award arrears, out of the three months owed to federal civil servants.
The development comes days after unions under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union side) issued a February 27 ultimatum, demanding the immediate release of funds to settle three months of outstanding wage awards and other allowances across ministries, departments and agencies.
In a letter addressed to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the unions warned that failure to meet the deadline would prompt the eight civil service unions to take decisive action. Labour leaders accused the government of withholding funds, claiming that relevant agencies were ready to process payments once the Ministry of Finance released the money.
Earlier on Monday, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, announced a phased plan to clear the arrears after a meeting between government officials and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
In a post shared by the Ministry of Labour, Edun outlined the payment schedule.
“The May 2024 wage award will be paid together with the February salary. The June 2024 arrears will be paid after the March salary, while the July 2024 arrears will be settled after the April salary,” he said.
The meeting that produced the agreement was convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, amid threats by labour groups to picket the Ministry of Finance over the delayed payments.
The wage award arrears stem from adjustments approved in 2024 to cushion the impact of economic reforms. However, delays in disbursement have sparked tensions between the government and organised labour in recent months.
With salary payments now underway and a timeline provided for clearing outstanding arrears, attention will shift to whether the government adheres to the new schedule and averts further industrial action.
