By Danjuma Amodu | April 25, 2026
The Federal Government’s approval of a sweeping review of allowances and the introduction of a 100 per cent exit benefit for retiring civil servants has drawn mixed reactions across the federal civil service, with many workers describing the measures as “long overdue relief” while insisting that inflation remains the real battle.
At the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, the mood was cautiously optimistic on Friday as news of the reforms filtered through offices and most civil servants WhatsApp platforms. Civil servants gathered in clusters, comparing notes on the revised Duty Tour Allowance (DTA), estacode, book allowance, and the new rule granting full DTA for in-station training.
“At least now if they send you for a workshop in Abuja, you won’t be spending your salary to attend,” said Mrs Grace Nwosu, a Grade Level 12 officer in the Ministry of Health. “Before, they would say because it’s your duty post, you get nothing. You end up borrowing to feed and transport yourself for government training. This one is progress.”
For junior workers, the upward review of peculiar allowances across all grade levels was the bigger talking point. Many said the adjustment, though not yet quantified in their payslips, offers hope that the monthly “salary to waiting for next salary” cycle might ease slightly.“We are happy, but we are watching,” said Ibrahim Musa, a Grade Level 06 clerical officer. “Prices in the market don’t wait for circulars. If DTA increases and a bag of rice still costs N120,000, we are back to square one. We need the money to reflect before May salary.”
Retirement Package Draws Praise
The new exit benefit — 100 per cent of total annual emoluments for retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme from January 1, 2026 — drew the most praise, especially from senior in officers nearing retirement.
“That is dignity,” said Mr Sunday Adebayo, a Deputy Director with 32 years in service. “Many of us watch our colleagues retire and become beggars within two years. Pension delays, gratuity issues, no safety net. If government will now pay us our full annual salary on exit, it means you can start a small business or pay your children’s school fees without panic. This is the first time I’m seeing real retirement planning.”
Labour leaders, however, struck a measured tone. Comrade Johnson Adewale of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) welcomed the reforms but warned that allowances without a living wage would not solve the crisis.
“Allowances are tied to duties and training. You don’t get DTA every month,” he said. “What the average worker needs is a salary that can take him from the 1st to the 30th. Food inflation, rent, transport — that is the daily war. So yes, we commend Walson-Jack and the Federal Executive Council. But we still demand a living wage indexed to inflation. Otherwise this relief will vanish at the market.”
Scepticism Over Implementation
Some workers expressed scepticism about implementation, citing past experiences where approved benefits were delayed or paid selectively. Till this moment, wage awards of just N35,000 meant to cushion the effect of subsidy removal by the Tinubu Administration are still being owed to civil servants, heightening workers’ fear and lack of trust.
“Circular is not alert,” said a staff member in the Ministry of Education who asked not to be named. “We’ve seen estacode approved on paper but you apply for three years and Accounts says there’s no money. Until we see it in our bank accounts, we won’t roll out drums.”
Others questioned the timing, noting that the reforms come weeks before Workers’ Day on May 1, a period usually marked by promises to labour.
“Every April, government remembers workers,” said a union member at the Federal Ministry of Environment. “Let this one be different. Let it not be May Day politics.”
The reforms, announced by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, include an upward review of nearly all allowances under the Public Service Rules, 100 per cent DTA for approved training regardless of location, and a new exit package for retirees. The Employee Compensation Scheme for job-related injuries and fatalities has also been operationalised.
The measures follow months of agitation by labour unions over declining purchasing power, with many civil servants trapped in debt from loan apps and family borrowings as the cost of living outpaced previous wage adjustments.
For now, the civil service waits, hopeful, but not yet celebrating. As one officer put it: “We’ve collected the news. We’re waiting to collect the money.”
