FG Raises Lawyers’ Robe Allowance To N1m Annually

The Federal Government has increased the annual robe allowance for state counsel and legal officers in the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria from the previously reported N300,000 to N1 million.

The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission disclosed this in a circular dated July 14, 2026, signed by its Acting Secretary, Adighiogu A. Chiadi, and addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of federal commissions, agencies and government-owned companies, among others.

The circular, titled, “Review of Robe Allowance for State Counsel and Legal Officers in the Federal Public Service,” said the review was approved as part of a new allowance structure for lawyers in the Federal Public Service.

The commission stated, “The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the review of Robe Allowance for State Counsel and Legal Officers in the Federal Public Service.”

Under the revised structure, state counsel and legal officers employed by the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria will receive N1 million annually.

Lawyers employed as legal officers in other ministries, departments and agencies who perform strictly legal functions will receive N600,000 per annum.

The circular stated, “N1,000,000.00 per annum for both the state counsel and legal officers employed in the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria; and N600,000.00 per annum for lawyers employed as legal officers in other ministries, departments and agencies who perform strictly legal functions.”

The new rates will take effect from January 1, 2027.

The NSIWC directed the affected ministries, departments and agencies to fund the payments from their overhead allocations.

According to the commission, “The revised rates take effect from 1st January 2027, and will be funded from the overhead cost of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.”

The N1 million allowance represents a N700,000 increase, or about 233 per cent, over the N300,000 robe allowance previously reported for lawyers in the Justice Ministry.

The N600,000 approved for legal officers in other MDAs is also twice the previously reported N300,000 figure.

The earlier N300,000 rate was disclosed in 2021 by the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, during the ministry’s budget defence before the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Human Rights and Legal Matters.

Malami had said about 860 lawyers in the ministry were entitled to N300,000 each annually as robe allowance, amounting to approximately N258 million.

However, the latest NSIWC circular does not expressly state the previous allowance applicable to each category of legal officer covered by the new review.
The N300,000 figure should therefore be understood as the previously reported rate for lawyers in the Justice Ministry and not necessarily as the confirmed former rate for every category covered by the latest circular.

Robe allowance is provided to support lawyers who are required to appear in court in prescribed professional attire while representing the Federal Government or its agencies.

The latest review comes amid broader adjustments to public-sector remuneration and allowances as the Federal Government continues to review compensation arrangements across the public service.

The commission directed affected institutions to forward enquiries concerning the implementation of the new rates to it.

“All enquiries concerning this circular should be directed to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission,” the circular stated.