The federal government has approved a revised allowance package for members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) in federal universities, covering hazard pay, responsibility allowances, and other earned benefits. The approval, detailed in a circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) on July 20, 2026, and signed by Acting Secretary Adighiogu A. Chiadi, takes effect from January 1, 2026, following an agreement reached with NASU on June 29, 2026.
Hazard and Responsibility Allowance Adjustments
Among the most notable changes is the upward review of the laboratory, workshop, studio, clinical, and occupational hazard allowance. Workers on CONTISS 1-5 will see their annual hazard pay rise from N180,000 to N243,000, an increase of N63,000, while those on CONTISS 6-15 will move from N360,000 to N486,000 annually, a gain of N126,000. These increases fall short of NASU's demands, which were N360,000 and N720,000 respectively.
Responsibility allowances for senior non-teaching officials also saw significant changes. Registrars and bursars will now receive N840,000 annually, up from N750,000. Directors, who previously had no such allowance, will receive N600,000 annually. Deputy registrars, deputy bursars, and deputy directors will get a new allowance of N480,000 annually, while heads of departments and units will see their allowance increase from N300,000 to N360,000 annually.
New Allowances Introduced
The government introduced a uniform and protective wear allowance for the first time, covering laboratory, workshop, and studio personnel across all three CONTISS bands at N80,000 annually each. Field trip, teaching practice, and industrial supervision allowances were also reviewed upward. Workers on CONTISS 1-5 will receive N81,000 annually, those on CONTISS 6-12 will get N108,000, and those on CONTISS 13-15 will receive N135,000.
Similarly, the Students Work Experience Programme (SWEP) allowance was revised, with CONTISS 13-15 rates harmonised to N135,000 annually from a previous range of N60,000 to N100,000. The circular also noted that the Excess Workload Allowance, currently paid at N3,500 per hour for officers on CONTISS 09-15, should be phased out without delay. NASU had proposed raising the rate to N10,000 per hour, but the government retained the existing figure pending the phase-out.
Background and Union Reactions
NASU has argued that most allowances in place were based on a 2009 agreement and had been severely eroded by inflation, naira depreciation, and rising living costs. The union and its counterpart, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, have taken industrial action on multiple occasions in recent years to push for better conditions of service for non-teaching staff in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The new package is part of the Bola Tinubu administration's broader welfare reforms for university workers, aimed at improving their conditions and addressing long-standing grievances. The circular was addressed to senior government officials, including the Chief of Staff to the President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
In related news, the Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR) released its 2026 Global 2000 list, with five Nigerian universities making the cut among 21,291 evaluated institutions worldwide.
