RismadarVoice Reporters, August 18, 2026
The Federal Government of Nigeria has increased the annual robe allowance for State Counsel and Legal Officers in the Federal Ministry of Justice, and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria from the previously reported N300,000 to N1 million.
The new allowance represents an increase of N700,000, or about 233 per cent, over the previously reported figure.
The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, NSIWC, announced the revised rates in a circular dated July 14, 2026, signed by its Acting Secretary, Adighiogu A. Chiadi.
The circular, titled “Review of Robe Allowance for State Counsel and Legal Officers in the Federal Public Service,” was addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of federal commissions and agencies, as well as government-owned companies.
According to the Commission, the Federal Government approved the new allowance as part of a revised remuneration structure for State Counsel and Legal Officers in the Federal Public Service.
Under the new arrangement, lawyers serving as State Counsel and Legal Officers in the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria will receive N1 million annually.
Legal officers in other ministries, departments and agencies who perform strictly legal functions will receive N600,000 annually.
The revised rates are to take effect from January 1, 2027.
The Commission directed affected ministries, departments and agencies to fund the payments from their respective overhead allocations.
The N1 million allowance is N700,000 higher than the N300,000 robe allowance previously reported for lawyers in the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The N600,000 approved for legal officers in other MDAs is also twice the previously reported N300,000 figure.
The earlier N300,000 allowance was disclosed in 2021 by the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, during the ministry’s budget defence before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
At the time, Malami said about 860 lawyers in the ministry were entitled to the allowance, amounting to approximately N258 million annually.
However, the latest NSIWC circular does not specifically state the previous allowance applicable to each category of legal officer covered by the new review.
The N300,000 figure should therefore be understood as the previously reported rate for lawyers in the Justice Ministry, and not necessarily as the confirmed former rate for every category of legal officer covered by the new circular.
Robe allowance is provided to support lawyers required to appear in court wearing prescribed professional attire while representing the Federal Government or its agencies.
The latest adjustment comes amid broader reviews of salaries and allowances across the Federal Public Service.
The NSIWC directed ministries and agencies seeking clarification on the implementation of the revised rates to forward their enquiries to the Commission.
