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. 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. 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.
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. This is against the backdrop of a N70,000 minimum wage.
manufacturing and assembly plants.
“What one had expected was a structured approach to cheaper transportation.
“And this could have been done by maybe making available more CNG buses, not manufactured in China or America, but those that are manufactured by the local assembly and manufacturing plants, also assembly plants in Nigeria, and fully subsidise the cost,” he stated.
Onyekpere also called for a drastic reduction in the cost of converting vehicles to CNG, alleging that the conversion process remainedexpensive despite government claims of providing support.
He cited instances of taxi drivers around him who had reportedly been asked to pay between N500,000 and N700,000 for CNG conversion.
“That CNG conversion should have been almost free of charge for all public transport owners.
“And then, it should have been at a discounted price to the private people who are operating their own cars,” he said.
The policy expert maintained that the government could have funded such interventions with savings from the removal of the fuel subsidy, arguing that commercial vehicle operators also provide essential transportation services to other Nigerians.
He said: “Because, instead of, these things could have come from the savings, fuel subsidy savings. Instead of saying, oh, they are individuals, no, they are still carrying other people.”
Onyekpere further questioned the timing and sustainability of the N70,000 allowance, warning that it could be withdrawn after the next general election.
According to him, the government should not introduce temporary financial incentives to gain political support without establishing a sustainable framework.
“It’s not something you would do simply because elections are near and you want to appease people.
“After three, four or six months, and then the election is over, what happens?
“They will have voted for you, and they are happy with you, and then, as soon as you are sworn in for a second time, in the usual very rascally manner, you announce, all those things are over, in your triumphant manner,” he said.
Describing the allowance as a political inducement, Onyekpere added: “It’s not what you need. That is simply trying to bribe the swing.”
He insisted that any intervention aimed at addressing transportation challenges should be properly structured, funded and captured in the national budget rather than announced without a clear implementation framework.
“It has to be structured. It should be budgeted. It’s not something you just walk off and announce,” he said.
Onyekpere also questioned why the intervention was restricted to public sector workers when millions of Nigerians outside government employment were equally affected by rising transportation costs.
He noted that unemployed and underemployed Nigerians, as well as workers in other sectors, were also struggling with the high cost of transportation.
“How many Nigerians are working in the public service or other sectors? There are a lot of people who are unemployed.
“There are people who are underemployed. There are a lot of other people who need this relief,” he said.
He further argued that reducing transportation costs across the country would have a wider impact on the economy, particularly food prices, because transportation expenses contribute to the cost of moving agricultural produce from farms to markets.
“Because if you reduce the cost of transport for food, if you reduce the cost of transport, it will reduce the cost of food. 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. That’s my approach,” Onyekpere said.
