The Nigerian federal government has approved a N50,000 annual ward coat allowance for allied health professionals working in 71 federal tertiary hospitals.
The benefit covers pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, and 17 other categories of allied health workers, according to reports from The Punch.
The move comes as the government continues to expand its direct employment of healthcare staff.
Workers at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) Teaching Hospital are set to be integrated into the federal payroll system starting in August, following a directive from the hospital's chief medical director.
This integration aligns with a broader recruitment drive; the Ministry of Health stated that the federal government has recruited no fewer than 37,000 health workers across its institutions since 2023.
For market observers, the allowance represents an incremental increase in the fiscal burden on the federal budget.