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The Federal Government has approved an upward review of the uniform allowance for nurses in its employment, raising it from N20,000 to N80,000 per annum.
The approval was granted by the National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission (NSIWC) and represents a 300 per cent increase from the previous rate. The decision was contained in a memo sighted on Thursday.
According to the memo, which was signed by the Chairman of the NSIWC, Mr Ekpo Nta, the new allowance will take effect from January 1, 2026.
The memo was addressed to the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, with copies sent to the Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun; the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu; and the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako.
“I hereby convey approval for the implementation of the uniform allowance of N80,000 per annum for nurses in federal hospitals, medical centres and clinics in MDAs through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) with effect from 1st January 2026,” the memo stated.
It added that the allowance would no longer be paid from the overhead budget, in order to align it with other regular allowances disbursed through IPPIS.
The review follows sustained agitation by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), which in July 2025 described the former N20,000 annual uniform allowance as grossly inadequate and insulting.
At the time, the union also called for broader reforms in the health sector, including the establishment of a Directorate of Nursing Services at the Federal Ministry of Health to be headed by a registered nurse.
President of the NANNM Federal Health Institutions (FHI) branch, Mr Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan, had criticised the initial handling of the allowance review, noting that the notice was issued without prior consultation with the association despite its implications for a large segment of healthcare workers.
On July 14, 2025, the nurses’ union issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, warning of a possible nationwide healthcare shutdown if their demands were not addressed.
Among the demands were an upward review of shift and uniform allowances, a separate salary structure for nurses, improved core duty allowance, mass recruitment of nurses, and the creation of a nursing department within the Federal Ministry of Health.
The union also lamented years of working under poor conditions, including shortages of basic medical supplies such as gloves, while enduring what it described as inadequate welfare support.
