FG spent N9.39tn on wage hike, allowances in 31 months — Oyedele

The Federal Government spent N9.39tn on wage hikes, salary adjustments, and allowances for public workers between June 2023 and December 2025, according to Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele. This expenditure surpassed the N5.4tn the government received as its share of the N15.8tn in revenue generated from removing the petrol subsidy and implementing foreign exchange reforms within the same 31-month period.

Oyedele revealed these figures during a media conference on Nigeria's reform scorecard titled "The Benefits, Costs and Harm Prevented" on Channels TV. The revelation sheds light on the subsidy removal debate by showing that the government's additional spending on workers exceeded the revenue it earned from subsidy removal. As the government prepares for negotiations with the Nigeria Labour Congress to set a new minimum wage for civil servants, Oyedele reported that the government generated N20.4tn in incremental resources during the period, which was primarily utilized to meet rising government obligations.