Tinubu’s N70,000 transport allowance excludes millions of Nigerians, sparks controversy
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Daily Post Nigeria
Reported by Chilaka Oluchi
Tue, 3 Nov 2026, 05:57
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Source Attribution: Daily Post Nigeria
News Stand NG operates under ethical news aggregation guidelines. Source: Daily Post Nigeria. To read the unabridged investigative reporting and full gallery, visit the original publication.
Unemployed Nigerians, private-sector workers and state government employees have been left out of the Federal Government's planned N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public sector workers.This comes amid a disagreement between the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, over the initiative.President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the Minister of Labour, approved a N70,000 transport allowance for public sector workers.The approval came after NLC's threat to shut down the country over rising fuel prices and its demand for a review of the N70,000 minimum wage, which has been eroded by inflation.The Tinubu administration has set November 5 as the implementation date for the N70,000 transport allowance. This is against the backdrop of a N70,000 minimum wage.Although Tinubu's approval of the N70,000 transport allowance was announced as a measure to ease the challenges Nigerians face, public affairs analysts have questioned its expected impact and the exclusion of other categories of workers.Arise Television anchors Reuben Abati and Oseni Rufai, in separate comments, criticised the N70,000 transport allowance.Abati described the initiative as discriminatory, while Rufai said the amount was insufficient to cover workers' transportation costs.Meanwhile, the presidents of the NLC and the TUC, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively, have clashed over the soon-to-be-implemented N70,000 transport allowance.Opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, have also faulted the N70,000 allowance barely three months before the 2027 presidential election.Tinubu’s N70,000 transport allowance is a bribe to win 2027 election – OnyekpereSpeaking on the N70,000 transport allowance in an interview with DAILY POST, the Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said the initiative was an attempt to appease voters ahead of the 2027 general election.Onyekpere said the government should have adopted a structured approach to reducing transportation costs rather than introducing a temporary allowance targeted at civil servants.According to him, although workers need financial relief to cushion the impact of rising transportation costs, other Nigerians, particularly unemployed persons and informal sector workers, also deserve similar support."The President's offer to give workers a N70,000 transport allowance is not the way to go," he said."Why do I say so?
Context & Background
✦However, while public sector workers await the proposed allowance, other categories of workers and unemployed Nigerians have been left out.Data from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, showed that 71.2 million Nigerians are self-employed, while only 3.32 million work in the public sector.
Key Figures & Named Entities
2024:Meanwhile, the majority of formally employed workers, numbering 9.64 million, are in the private sector, according to the 2024 Labour Force data.The NBS data indicate that the majority of working Nigerians will not benefit from the Federal Government's planned N70,000 transport allowance.DAILY POST reports that the cost of living has continued to rise, with many Nigerians struggling to afford food amid a food inflation rate of 19.59 per cent in September 2026 and petrol prices ranging between N1,370 and N1,429 per litre.2027:This is against the backdrop of a N70,000 minimum wage.Although Tinubu's approval of the N70,000 transport allowance was announced as a measure to ease the challenges Nigerians face, public affairs analysts have questioned its expected impact and the exclusion of other categories of workers.Arise Television anchors Reuben Abati and Oseni Rufai, in separate comments, criticised the N70,000 transport allowance.Abati described the initiative as discriminatory, while Rufai said the amount was insufficient to cover workers' transportation costs.Meanwhile, the presidents of the NLC and the TUC, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively, have clashed over the soon-to-be-implemented N70,000 transport allowance.Opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, have also faulted the N70,000 allowance barely three months before the 2027 presidential election.Tinubu’s N70,000 transport allowance is a bribe to win 2027 election – OnyekpereSpeaking on the N70,000 transport allowance in an interview with DAILY POST, the Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said the initiative was an attempt to appease voters ahead of the 2027 general election.Onyekpere said the government should have adopted a structured approach to reducing transportation costs rather than introducing a temporary allowance targeted at civil servants.According to him, although workers need financial relief to cushion the impact of rising transportation costs, other Nigerians, particularly unemployed persons and informal sector workers, also deserve similar support."The President's offer to give workers a N70,000 transport allowance is not the way to go," he said."Why do I say so?2027:For the pepper, tomato, rice, everybody," he added.The policy expert reiterated that the government should prioritise sustainable economic interventions that benefit the wider population rather than measures he believes are designed to secure political support ahead of the 2027 elections."So, it shouldn't just be to almost bribe people to vote for you, so that on the day you are sworn in, you now, magisterially announce that you have removed those things."And of course, nothing can happen to you.
Outlook & Next Steps
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Key Takeaways
Verified Extract
✦Unemployed Nigerians, private-sector workers and state government employees have been left out of the Federal Government's planned N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public sector workers.This comes amid a disagreement between the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, over the initiative.President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the Minister of Labour, approved a N70,000 transport allowance for public sector workers.The approval came after NLC's threat to shut down the country over rising fuel prices and its demand for a review of the N70,000 minimum wage, which has been eroded by inflation.The Tinubu administration has set November 5 as the implementation date for the N70,000 transport allowance.
✦This is against the backdrop of a N70,000 minimum wage.Although Tinubu's approval of the N70,000 transport allowance was announced as a measure to ease the challenges Nigerians face, public affairs analysts have questioned its expected impact and the exclusion of other categories of workers.Arise Television anchors Reuben Abati and Oseni Rufai, in separate comments, criticised the N70,000 transport allowance.Abati described the initiative as discriminatory, while Rufai said the amount was insufficient to cover workers' transportation costs.Meanwhile, the presidents of the NLC and the TUC, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively, have clashed over the soon-to-be-implemented N70,000 transport allowance.Opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, have also faulted the N70,000 allowance barely three months before the 2027 presidential election.Tinubu’s N70,000 transport allowance is a bribe to win 2027 election – OnyekpereSpeaking on the N70,000 transport allowance in an interview with DAILY POST, the Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said the initiative was an attempt to appease voters ahead of the 2027 general election.Onyekpere said the government should have adopted a structured approach to reducing transportation costs rather than introducing a temporary allowance targeted at civil servants.According to him, although workers need financial relief to cushion the impact of rising transportation costs, other Nigerians, particularly unemployed persons and informal sector workers, also deserve similar support."The President's offer to give workers a N70,000 transport allowance is not the way to go," he said."Why do I say so?
✦However, while public sector workers await the proposed allowance, other categories of workers and unemployed Nigerians have been left out.Data from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, showed that 71.2 million Nigerians are self-employed, while only 3.32 million work in the public sector.
Key Facts:2024: Meanwhile, the majority of formally employed workers, numbering 9.64 million, are in the private sector, according to the 2024 Labour Force data.The NBS data indicate that the majority of working Nigerians will not benefit from the Federal Government's planned N70,000 transport allowance.DAILY POST reports that the cost of living has continued to rise, with many Nigerians struggling to afford food amid a food inflation rate of 19.59 per cent in September 2026 and petrol prices ranging between N1,370 and N1,429 per litre.2027: This is against the backdrop of a N70,000 minimum wage.Although Tinubu's approval of the N70,000 transport allowance was announced as a measure to ease the challenges Nigerians face, public affairs analysts have questioned its expected impact and the exclusion of other categories of workers.Arise Television anchors Reuben Abati and Oseni Rufai, in separate comments, criticised the N70,000 transport allowance.Abati described the initiative as discriminatory, while Rufai said the amount was insufficient to cover workers' transportation costs.Meanwhile, the presidents of the NLC and the TUC, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively, have clashed over the soon-to-be-implemented N70,000 transport allowance.Opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, have also faulted the N70,000 allowance barely three months before the 2027 presidential election.Tinubu’s N70,000 transport allowance is a bribe to win 2027 election – OnyekpereSpeaking on the N70,000 transport allowance in an interview with DAILY POST, the Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said the initiative was an attempt to appease voters ahead of the 2027 general election.Onyekpere said the government should have adopted a structured approach to reducing transportation costs rather than introducing a temporary allowance targeted at civil servants.According to him, although workers need financial relief to cushion the impact of rising transportation costs, other Nigerians, particularly unemployed persons and informal sector workers, also deserve similar support."The President's offer to give workers a N70,000 transport allowance is not the way to go," he said."Why do I say so?2027: For the pepper, tomato, rice, everybody," he added.The policy expert reiterated that the government should prioritise sustainable economic interventions that benefit the wider population rather than measures he believes are designed to secure political support ahead of the 2027 elections."So, it shouldn't just be to almost bribe people to vote for you, so that on the day you are sworn in, you now, magisterially announce that you have removed those things."And of course, nothing can happen to you.
Editorial Excerpt
Unemployed Nigerians, private-sector workers and state government employees have been left out of the Federal Government's planned N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public sector workers.This comes amid a disagreement between the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress,...
Frequently Asked Questions About This Story
What is the latest development regarding African Democratic Congress?
Unemployed Nigerians, private-sector workers and state government employees have been left out of the Federal Government's planned N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public sector workers.This comes amid a disagreement between the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, over the initiative.President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the Minister of Labour, approved a N70,000 transport allowance for public sector workers.The approval came after NLC's threat to shut down the country over rising fuel prices and its demand for a review of the N70,000 minimum wage, which has been eroded by inflation.The Tinubu administration has set November 5 as the implementation date for the N70,000 transport allowance.
Who are the key organizations or public figures mentioned?
This is against the backdrop of a N70,000 minimum wage.Although Tinubu's approval of the N70,000 transport allowance was announced as a measure to ease the challenges Nigerians face, public affairs analysts have questioned its expected impact and the exclusion of other categories of workers.Arise Television anchors Reuben Abati and Oseni Rufai, in separate comments, criticised the N70,000 transport allowance.Abati described the initiative as discriminatory, while Rufai said the amount was insufficient to cover workers' transportation costs.Meanwhile, the presidents of the NLC and the TUC, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively, have clashed over the soon-to-be-implemented N70,000 transport allowance.Opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, have also faulted the N70,000 allowance barely three months before the 2027 presidential election.Tinubu’s N70,000 transport allowance is a bribe to win 2027 election – OnyekpereSpeaking on the N70,000 transport allowance in an interview with DAILY POST, the Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said the initiative was an attempt to appease voters ahead of the 2027 general election.Onyekpere said the government should have adopted a structured approach to reducing transportation costs rather than introducing a temporary allowance targeted at civil servants.According to him, although workers need financial relief to cushion the impact of rising transportation costs, other Nigerians, particularly unemployed persons and informal sector workers, also deserve similar support."The President's offer to give workers a N70,000 transport allowance is not the way to go," he said."Why do I say so?
What timeline or key figures were confirmed?
Meanwhile, the majority of formally employed workers, numbering 9.64 million, are in the private sector, according to the 2024 Labour Force data.The NBS data indicate that the majority of working Nigerians will not benefit from the Federal Government's planned N70,000 transport allowance.DAILY POST reports that the cost of living has continued to rise, with many Nigerians struggling to afford food amid a food inflation rate of 19.59 per cent in September 2026 and petrol prices ranging between N1,370 and N1,429 per litre.
