The Federal Government has formally approved a significant increase in the annual uniform allowance for nurses employed in federal health institutions, raising the amount from ₦20,000 to ₦80,000, a 300 per cent jump, effective January 2026.
The increment was confirmed in a memo from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), seen by The PUNCH on Thursday, signalling a major development in ongoing discussions about nurses’ welfare and compensation.
Signed by NSIWC Chairman Ekpo Nta, the memo was addressed to the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, with copies forwarded to the Ministers of Finance Wale Edun, Budget and National Planning Atiku Bagudu, and the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Iziaq Salako.
The memo reads in part, “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 with effect from 1st January 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.”
Under the new arrangement, the uniform allowance will be integrated into the IPPIS (Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System), aligning it with other regular allowances paid to federal health workers.
The move comes after sustained agitation by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI), which had described the previous ₦20,000 annual uniform allowance as “grossly insufficient” for the needs of nursing professionals.
In July 2025, the association issued a public demand for reforms, calling for a comprehensive overhaul of nurses’ welfare conditions, including a higher uniform allowance and a dedicated Directorate of Nursing Services at the Federal Ministry of Health to be led by a registered nurse.
At the time, NANNM-FHI President Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan told journalists that the budget of ₦20,000 per year was “insulting” to nurses who worked under challenging conditions.
On July 14, 2025, the nurses’ union issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, warning of a potential nationwide healthcare shutdown if core welfare demands were not addressed.
Those demands included: A review of shift allowances, adjustment of the uniform allowance, separate salary structure for nurses, increased core duty allowance, mass recruitment of nurses, and establishment of a nursing department within the Federal Ministry of Health.
Nurses had also lamented the lack of essential equipment such as gloves, noting that they often worked for years under difficult conditions without adequate tools.
The approval of the ₦80,000 annual uniform allowance marks a notable policy response to the nurses’ long-standing welfare concerns and could signal further adjustments in the remuneration structures for healthcare professionals across federal institutions.
