HEALTH
FG Approves 300% Increase in Nurses’ Uniform Allowance, Raises Annual Payment to ₦80,000 Effective January 2026
By @TheKELVINATOR, The Eyes Opener News | February 7, 2026
The National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission has approved a major upward review of the uniform allowance for nurses under Federal Government employment, increasing the annual payment from ₦20,000 to ₦80,000.
The development represents a 300 per cent increase from the previous rate and was disclosed in an official memo sighted by our correspondent on Thursday, marking a significant policy shift in the welfare framework for federal nurses.
The approval comes months after sustained pressure from the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, which had openly condemned the ₦20,000 yearly uniform allowance as grossly inadequate and demeaning to the profession. In July 2025, the association called for wide-ranging systemic reforms, including the creation of a Directorate of Nursing Services at the Federal Ministry of Health to be headed by a registered nurse.
Reacting at the time, the President of NANNM-FHI, Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan, told journalists that the earlier notice of the allowance was issued without consultation with the association, despite its direct impact on a large segment of healthcare professionals across federal institutions.
Details of the new approval were contained in a memo signed by the Chairman of the National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission, Ekpo Nta, which stated that the revised allowance would take effect from January 2026.
The memo was formally addressed to the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, with copies forwarded to key members of the Federal Executive Council, including 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.
Part of the memo read, “Please refer to your letter No. C.2920/S.4/T2/33 dated 17th November 2025 in connection with the above-mentioned subject.
“I hereby convey approval for the implementation of the uniform allowance of ₦80,000 per annum for nurses in Federal hospitals, medical centres and clinics in MDAs through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System with effect from 1st January 2026.
“Consequently, the allowance will no longer be paid from the overhead budget in order to streamline the payment with other regular allowances payable through IPPIS.”
The approval follows a tense period in the health sector. On July 14, 2025, the nurses’ union issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, warning of a total healthcare shutdown if urgent steps were not taken to address their welfare concerns.
Among the key demands raised by the nurses were an upward review of shift allowance, adjustment of uniform allowance, the introduction of a separate salary structure for nurses, increased core duty allowance, mass employment of nurses, and the establishment of a dedicated nursing department in the Federal Ministry of Health.
Central to the agitation was the Federal Government’s ₦20,000 annual uniform budget per nurse, a figure the union leadership described as insulting and unreflective of the realities faced by nurses in their daily duties.
Beyond the issue of allowances, the nurses also revealed longstanding challenges in their work environment, including being compelled to operate with inadequate tools and equipment such as gloves, often without raising complaints for several years.
The newly approved allowance is expected to ease tensions within the sector and is being viewed by stakeholders as a modest but important step toward improving the welfare and morale of nurses in federal health institutions.