By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Federal Government has approved a N50,000 annual ward coat allowance for pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists and 17 other categories of allied health professionals in 71 federal tertiary health institutions, with implementation backdated to Monday, 1June, 2026.
The approval, granted by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, was conveyed in a circular dated Wednesday, 15
July,2026, and signed by the Director of Teaching Hospitals, Dr Okpikpi Okpako, on behalf of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate. It followed a request by the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals for the introduction of the allowance for its members.
“I am directed to forward the attached letter, Ref. SWC/S/04/S.218/T/147 dated 21st April, 2026, from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission on the above subject, and to convey the Coordinating Minister’s directive for the implementation of the Ward Coat Allowance for eligible Health Professionals in Federal Hospitals, Medical Centres and Clinics in Ministries, Departments and Agencies,” the circular stated.
The ministry explained that the approval traced back to a request the union made in July 2024.
“The NSIWC’s approval for the payment of Ward Coat Allowance is a sequel to the request made through the letter Ref. C.253/15 dated 23rd July, 2024 from the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals,” it said.
According to the circular, “The approved allowance is Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000.00) per annum per beneficiary, and it takes effect from 1st June, 2026.”
Beneficiaries include pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, medical social workers, optometrists, physiotherapists, dental therapists, radiographers, dieticians, dental technologists, prosthetic technologists and medical physicists. Others are health information officers, audiologists, nutritionists, medical laboratory technologists, EEG and ECG technologists, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and speech therapists.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare directed management of the affected hospitals to commence immediate implementation through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.
“Accordingly, all Chief Medical Directors/Medical Directors whose institutions are listed in the attachment list are hereby directed to commence implementation and payment of the Ward Coat Allowance to all eligible Health Professionals in their respective institutions through the IPPIS platform with effect from 1st June, 2026,” the circular read.
The ministry, however, clarified that only 71 federal health institutions are covered by the current approval, noting that a further 12 institutions remain under review.
“Only the 71 institutions listed in the attached list are to commence the implementation of this allowance for the affected staff, while the remaining 12 institutions whose staff statistics were recently submitted have been forwarded to NSIWC for further necessary action,” it stated.
The circular further directed heads of the affected hospitals to ensure full compliance, adding,
“Kindly ensure strict compliance in accordance with the NSIWC’s approved list.”
The approval addresses a long-standing demand of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, which has consistently argued that its members are frontline clinical personnel who wear ward coats and other protective attire while attending to patients, yet had not enjoyed similar allowances extended to other categories of health workers.
The union, which represents pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, radiographers, dieticians, health information officers, medical social workers, clinical psychologists and other allied health professionals, has over the years engaged the Federal Government on remuneration, career progression and improved working conditions, with the ward coat allowance forming part of those demands.
The approval comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to improve conditions of service in the health sector, amid an unprecedented wave of migration among Nigerian health workers. Thousands of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists and other healthcare professionals have left the country in recent years in search of better remuneration and working conditions abroad, a trend that has contributed to workforce shortages across public health facilities.
In response, the Federal Government has rolled out a series of retention measures, including periodic salary reviews, revised allowances, fresh recruitment into federal health institutions, and sustained engagement with professional associations and labour unions to avert industrial actions that have repeatedly disrupted healthcare delivery.
Though modest compared to the broader demands of health workers, stakeholders say the N50,000 allowance represents formal recognition of the critical role played by allied health professionals, who make up a significant proportion of Nigeria’s healthcare workforce.
They provide essential services spanning pharmaceutical care, laboratory diagnosis, rehabilitation, radiography, nutrition, medical records management and clinical psychology, among other specialised areas indispensable to patient care and hospital operations.
Implementation will initially cover the 71 federal tertiary health institutions listed in the circular, while the remaining 12 institutions are expected to commence payment once the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission concludes verification of their submitted staff statistics.
