The Federal Government has approved a comprehensive upward review of hazard allowances and other welfare packages for non-teaching staff in federal universities, increasing hazard allowances by 35 per cent while introducing an annual ₦600,000 responsibility allowance for directors.
The new remuneration package follows months of negotiations between the government and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and takes retrospective effect from January 1, 2026.
The approval was contained in a circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) after an agreement reached between the Federal Government and NASU on June 29, 2026.
According to the circular, the revised package covers hazard allowances, responsibility allowances and several work-related benefits for eligible non-teaching employees in federal universities.
Under the new structure, employees on CONTISS 1–5 will receive an annual laboratory hazard allowance of ₦243,000, representing an increase from the previous ₦180,000.
Workers on CONTISS 6–15 will now earn ₦486,000 annually in laboratory hazard allowance, up from ₦360,000, reflecting the approved 35 per cent increase.
The government also approved a new annual responsibility allowance of ₦600,000 for directors, marking the first time the category will benefit from such a dedicated payment.
Registrars and bursars will now receive ₦840,000 annually, an increase from the previous ₦750,000, while deputy registrars, deputy bursars and deputy directors will earn ₦480,000 annually.
Heads of departments and units will receive ₦360,000 annually, up from ₦300,000, while heads of sections will begin receiving a newly approved ₦150,000 annual responsibility allowance.
Beyond hazard and responsibility allowances, the government also reviewed payments relating to field trips, teaching practice, industrial supervision and the Students' Work Experience Programme (SWEP).
For staff on CONTISS 1–5, field trip and related allowances increased from ₦60,000 to ₦81,000 annually, while employees on CONTISS 6–12 will now receive ₦108,000, up from ₦80,000.
The revised package also consolidates the Provision Tools Allowance into a new Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance to simplify implementation across federal universities.
The NSIWC further clarified that existing call duty, shift duty and clinical hazard allowances will continue to be implemented under previously issued government circulars.
High-risk allowances will continue to be administered through the Employees' Compensation framework in accordance with the Employees' Compensation Act rather than as a separate fixed annual payment.
The improved welfare package forms part of the Federal Government's broader efforts to strengthen industrial harmony and improve the welfare of non-academic university workers amid prevailing economic challenges.
Education stakeholders have described the approval as a significant step toward recognising the contributions of non-teaching staff, who play vital roles in the administration, laboratories, libraries and technical operations of federal universities.
Although some of the approved figures remain below NASU's initial demands, the union's engagement with the government resulted in notable increases across several categories of allowances and introduced new benefits that were previously unavailable.
The revised allowances are expected to improve staff welfare, boost morale and support more efficient service delivery across Nigeria's federal university system as the government continues implementing reforms in the education sector.