The National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission (NSIWC) has approved an increase in the annual uniform allowance for nurses in Federal Government employment, raising it from ₦20,000 to ₦80,000.
The approval, contained in a memo, represents a 300 per cent increase and will take effect from January 1, 2026. The decision applies to nurses working in federal hospitals, medical centres and clinics across ministries, departments and agencies.
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The memo, signed by the Chairman of the NSIWC, Ekpo Nta, was addressed to the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate. Copies were also sent to the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; and the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako.
According to the commission, the revised allowance will be paid through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), meaning it will no longer be drawn from overhead budgets. The move, the NSIWC said, is aimed at aligning the payment with other regular allowances and ensuring a more streamlined process.
The increase follows sustained agitation by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), which had repeatedly described the ₦20,000 annual allowance as grossly inadequate. In July 2025, the union warned that the figure was insulting and failed to reflect the realities faced by nurses, many of whom provide uniforms from personal funds.
The NANNM-FHI President, Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan, had also criticised the government for issuing notices affecting nurses without adequate consultation, while highlighting broader concerns such as poor working conditions, inadequate equipment and long-standing neglect of the profession.
The uniform allowance review was among several demands raised by the union during its 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government last year, aimed at averting a nationwide healthcare shutdown
