The Federal Government has approved a substantial increase in hazard allowances for non-academic staff in federal universities, with some eligible workers set to receive as much as ₦486,000 annually, in a move aimed at improving staff welfare and recognising the occupational risks associated with their duties.
The revised allowance is expected to benefit categories of non-teaching personnel whose responsibilities expose them to hazardous working conditions, including laboratory technologists, health workers, engineers and other technical staff in federal tertiary institutions.
The approval forms part of the Tinubu administration’s broader efforts to improve the welfare of public sector workers and strengthen service delivery across federal institutions. The government has in recent months introduced several measures, including upward reviews of allowances and welfare packages for civil servants, following engagements with labour unions.
Although the government has not publicly released the full breakdown of the new hazard allowance structure for every staff category, officials said the review reflects the varying levels of occupational risk faced by workers in different roles.
The increase comes amid longstanding demands by university-based unions for improved remuneration and better working conditions. Labour groups have repeatedly argued that existing hazard allowances no longer reflect current economic realities or adequately compensate workers exposed to health and safety risks in the course of their duties.
The latest approval is expected to boost morale among non-academic employees while complementing ongoing reforms aimed at improving conditions of service within Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
The Federal Government has maintained that enhancing workers’ welfare remains central to its efforts to strengthen public institutions and improve the quality of services delivered to Nigerians.
