The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) says the two-month outstanding wage awards owed to federal civil servants will be paid in April and May.
The National President of ASCSN, Shehu Mohammed, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Mohammed said the agreement to settle the outstanding payments, after several months of delay, was reached between ASCSN and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
“The wage award has been pending for quite a long time, and we are glad that progress has been made through engagement with the Office of the Accountant-General.
“One month will be paid immediately, while the remaining month will be paid with the following month’s salary.
“We can now say we have addressed the issue of outstanding arrears and are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, although more work is still ahead,” he said.
Mohammed noted that the payment of the outstanding wage awards would bring relief to workers and ease financial pressure after months of uncertainty.
He added that the association had consistently pressed for the settlement of outstanding entitlements, noting that the delay had worsened economic hardship for workers already grappling with rising living costs.
The ASCSN president assured that the union would continue to engage government on other outstanding issues, including salary adjustments, allowances, housing, and transportation support.
He reaffirmed the union’s commitment to sustained dialogue with government to ensure improved welfare for workers nationwide.
“The struggle continues until civil servants are fully relieved of economic pressures affecting their productivity,” he said.
Mohammed also urged government to accelerate reforms in the civil service remuneration structure, stressing that improved welfare would enhance productivity and service delivery.
The Federal Government introduced the wage award in 2023 to cushion the impact of economic hardship following the removal of fuel subsidy, offering temporary financial relief to federal civil servants pending the introduction of a new minimum wage.
The wage award was fixed at N35,000 monthly and intended to run for several months as a stopgap measure while negotiations with labour unions on salary adjustments continued.
Payments were made in instalments rather than consistently, with some months paid promptly and others delayed due to administrative and fiscal challenges.
Initially, up to five months accumulated as arrears, but gradual payments reduced the backlog, leaving about two months outstanding for many federal civil servants.
