Tinubu’s N70,000 transport allowance excludes millions of Nigerians and sparks controversy

The federal government plans to pay public-sector workers a monthly transport allowance of N70,000 from November 5, excluding unemployed people, private-sector workers and state government employees. National Bureau of Statistics figures show 71.2 million Nigerians are self-employed and 9.64 million work in the private sector, compared with 3.32 million in the public sector. The announcement comes amid rising living costs, with food inflation at 19.59% in September 2026 and petrol selling for N1,370 to N1,429 per litre. Reuben Abati called the measure discriminatory, Oseni Rufai said it was inadequate, and social justice advocate Eze Onyekpere described it as an attempt to appeal to voters ahead of the 2027 election.