Federal Government Approves 20% Salary Upgrade For Nigerian Police Officers

The Federal Government has approved a 20 percent salary increase for officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), effective in January 2022.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi disclosed while speaking with state house correspondents on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja.

Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and national planning, said although the pay increase has not been captured in the 2022 appropriations bill, a supplementary budget could be sent to the national assembly for passage, and subsequently, implementation will be backdated to January 2022.

Meanwhile, the police affairs minister said the federal executive council also approved the review of police duty tour allowance to six percent and also directed the release of N1.2 billion for the payment of uninsured benefits.

The sum of N1.2 billion was also approved for the payment of outstanding allowances.

Dingyadi said the approval is a follow-up to President Buhari’s promise to enhance police personnel pay as demanded by #EndSARS protesters.

The minister said the sum of N13.128 billion was approved for outstanding death benefits for 5,472 police personnel. Dingyadi, however, said the payment would kick off after the auditor-general of the federation must have vetted it.

He also announced a tax waiver of N18.6 billion for personnel between grade levels one and 14.

This comes a few days after the Federal Government advised police officers and civil servants to be cautious in spending their November salary and to make provisions for Christmas celebrations therefrom.