The Federal Government has approved a significant increase in the annual robe allowance for state counsel and legal officers in the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.
According to a circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), the allowance has been increased from the previously reported N300,000 to N1 million per annum for eligible lawyers in the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Council.
The new rate represents an increase of N700,000, or about 233 per cent, compared with the previous allowance.
The government also approved an annual robe allowance of N600,000 for lawyers serving as legal officers in other ministries, departments and agencies who perform strictly legal functions.
The revised allowance structure is scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2027, with the affected ministries, departments and agencies directed to fund the payments from their overhead allocations.
The previous N300,000 allowance was disclosed in 2021, when it was reported that about 860 lawyers in the Federal Ministry of Justice were entitled to the payment, costing the government approximately N258 million annually.
The latest adjustment is part of the Federal Government’s revised allowance structure for State Counsel and Legal Officers in the Federal Public Service.
Stay tuned to LiteTv for more updates.
