The Nigerian federal government has initiated the payment of the N35,000 wage award arrears to its workers. This development was officially announced by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) in a statement released by Mr. Bawa Mokwa, the Director of Press and Public Relations. According to the OAGF, many federal employees have already confirmed receiving these payments, and those yet to receive them are assured they will do so shortly.

The OAGF's statement also sought to clarify recent media reports, asserting that the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Babatunde Ogunjimi, never stated that the N35,000 wage award was excluded from the 2025 budget, contrary to what some online media outlets had reported. It was further emphasized that the AGF did not hold any press briefing concerning the wage award issue. The government reaffirmed its commitment to settling all outstanding arrears as promised.

The payment of these outstanding arrears will be structured in installments. It was detailed that the federal government had previously disbursed five months of the wage award to its employees in installments. The current process addresses the outstanding five-month arrears, which will also be paid in installments of N35,000 per month for five months. Mr. Mokwa clarified that the first installment of these outstanding arrears would be processed immediately after the April 2025 salaries are paid, not concurrently with them.

The N35,000 monthly wage award was introduced as a palliative measure to help mitigate the economic hardships faced by citizens following the removal of fuel subsidies. This measure was a result of negotiations and an agreement reached between the Federal Government and organised labour unions in 2023.

The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation reiterated the federal government's dedication to fully implementing all policies and agreements related to staff remuneration and welfare, aiming to enhance productivity and efficiency within the civil service. Concurrently, labour unions have urged the government to ensure that the payment process is conducted with transparency and consistency.