Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government’s N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public service workers, describing it as a temporary intervention that fails to address Nigeria’s wider cost-of-living crisis.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, director of strategic communication for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign council, Atiku said the allowance would cover only about 50 litres of petrol at an estimated price of N1,400 per litre.
Atiku, the ADC presidential candidate, said the six-month payment reflected the government’s failure to address the broader economic challenges affecting households and businesses.
The Federal Government announced the monthly allowance in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday. Payments are expected to begin in November 2026.
The agreement followed weeks of labour agitation over the rising cost of living, petrol prices, workers’ welfare and outstanding agreements.
Atiku argued that the allowance would do little to ease the financial pressure on workers and other Nigerians struggling with rising costs across the economy.
“The cost of living crisis reaches beyond transport: energy, food, rent and other essentials affect every part of daily life,” he said.
He pointed to the increasing cost of powering businesses, cooking, operating school buses and meeting household expenses, questioning whether the government believed the hardship ended at the bus stop.
Atiku also challenged the decision to restrict the intervention to public service workers, noting that private sector employees, traders, small businesses, transport operators and informal sector workers were equally affected by rising costs.
“If public service workers receive N70,000 monthly for transport from November, what happens to private sector workers, traders, small businesses, transport operators and millions without formal jobs?” he asked.
The former vice-president urged the government to clarify the eligibility criteria for the allowance, publish payment dates and resolve outstanding minimum wage negotiations.
He described the six-month intervention as inadequate, arguing that temporary payments could not reverse the effects of the government’s economic policies.
Atiku also criticised the government’s compressed natural gas (CNG) initiative, saying it had failed to deliver the promised reduction in transport costs for Nigerians.
“These rushed announcements smack of political bribery and corruption,” he said, adding that the government had not demonstrated a genuine commitment to addressing the consequences of petrol subsidy removal.
As an alternative, Atiku proposed a transparently managed production subsidy for petrol refined in Nigeria, arguing that it could provide relief at the pump.
He also called on the government to tackle alleged corruption and financial leakages instead of placing the burden of its policies on Nigerians.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) rejected the Federal Government’s N70,000 transport allowance, describing the temporary relief as inadequate and calling for an increase in workers’ salaries.
In a statement, TUC president Festus Osifo and the congress’ secretary-general, Nuhu Toro, said the government should increase workers’ pay rather than rely on temporary allowances.