RismadarVoice Reporters
February 7, 2026
The National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission (NSIWC) has approved an upward review of the uniform allowance for nurses under Federal Government employment, increasing it from N20,000 to N80,000 per annum.
The approval, which represents a 300 per cent increase from the previous rate, was announced in an official memo issued by the commission.
According to the memo signed by the Chairman of the NSIWC, Ekpo Nta, the new allowance will take effect from January 1, 2026.
The memo was addressed to the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, with copies sent to 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.
It read in part: “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 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 January 1, 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 comes months after the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) described the former N20,000 annual uniform allowance as grossly inadequate and demeaning.
In July 2025, the NANNM-Federal Health Institutions President, Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan, criticized the allowance, noting that it was announced without consultation with the union despite its impact on a significant segment of healthcare professionals.
At the time, the union issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, warning of a possible nationwide healthcare shutdown if its demands were not addressed.
Among the demands were an upward review of shift and uniform allowances, a separate salary structure for nurses, increased core duty allowance, mass employment of nurses, and the establishment of a Directorate of Nursing Services at the Federal Ministry of Health to be headed by a registered nurse.
The nurses’ union had described the N20,000 yearly uniform budget per nurse as insulting, adding that nurses had endured years of working with inadequate tools and equipment, including gloves, without complaints.
