The directive came hours before JPSNC’s August 11 ultimatum deadline, with promotion arrears, salary relativity and peculiar allowances also on the table.

The Federal Government has ordered the immediate payment of all outstanding wage awards to public servants before the middle of August, following a meeting between Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele and labour leaders in Abuja on Wednesday.

The directive was disclosed in a statement by Efe Ovuakporie, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance, and was corroborated by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The labour leaders at the meeting were led by Kabiru Minjibir, National President of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC).

What workers can expect and when

The directive has direct implications for hundreds of thousands of federal civil servants who have been waiting for wage awards that the government committed to paying but has so far not fully disbursed.

Oyedele said the release for payment of the outstanding wage award was at its final stage and expressed confidence that eligible workers would begin receiving payments before mid-August. Christiana Osho, Director of Cash Management at the ministry, added that reconciliation for the outstanding wage award had been completed and that payment release was at its final stage.

The minister directed relevant officials to review the council’s submissions and fast-track action on all outstanding matters, acknowledging concerns over implementation delays and pledging greater transparency, consultation and prompt action going forward.

Oyedele said the government had already begun addressing several labour concerns before receiving the council’s formal communication, framing the meeting as an alignment rather than a response to pressure.

“The objective is to build confidence by ensuring the government honours every commitment made,” he said, reaffirming the Tinubu administration’s commitment to fulfilling promises to Nigerian workers through constructive engagement and dialogue.

Promotion arrears, peculiar allowances and salary relativity also on the table

Beyond the wage award, the meeting surfaced a range of unresolved labour issues that the government pledged to address.

Mohammed Danjuma, Permanent Secretary in charge of special duties, said progress had been made on workers’ entitlements and that batch seven promotion arrears, previously omitted, were being processed alongside batch nine. He said the government was also working with relevant agencies to address peculiar allowances and other labour-related issues.

Raymond Omachi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, pledged closer collaboration with organised labour and said approved entitlements would be processed without avoidable delays.

Labour warns timely implementation is critical to industrial harmony

Responding to the government’s assurances, Minjibir urged the government to resolve pending labour issues without further delay. He listed outstanding wage awards, promotion arrears, salary relativity for health workers and peculiar allowances among the issues that remain unresolved and require urgent action.

“Timely implementation would strengthen industrial harmony and boost workers’ confidence in government,” he said.

The development reportedly puts on hold the JPSNC’s August 11 ultimatum to the minister’s office over unresolved workers’ welfare issues, following a last-minute agreement reached at Wednesday’s meeting meaning the government now has until mid-August to make good on its commitments or risk renewed industrial action from organised labour.