FG raises Justice Ministry lawyers’ robe allowance to N1m

The Federal Government has approved a new annual robe allowance of N1 million for state counsel and legal officers working with the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.

The new rate, approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), will take effect from January 1, 2027.

The commission disclosed this in a circular dated July 14, 2026, and signed by its Acting Secretary, Adighiogu A. Chiadi.

The circular, titled “Review of Robe Allowance for State Counsel and Legal Officers in the Federal Public Service,” said the adjustment formed part of a revised allowance structure for lawyers in the Federal Public Service.

Under the new arrangement, state counsel and legal officers in the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Council will receive N1 million annually.

Lawyers serving as legal officers in other ministries, departments and agencies and performing strictly legal functions will receive N600,000 annually.

The commission directed the affected MDAs to fund the allowances from their overhead allocations.

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

The N600,000 rate for lawyers in other MDAs is double the previously reported N300,000 figure.

However, the NSIWC circular did not state the previous allowance for each category covered by the new review. The N300,000 figure was disclosed in 2021 by former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, during the ministry’s budget defence.

Malami had said about 860 lawyers in the ministry were entitled to N300,000 each annually as robe allowance, resulting in an estimated N258 million expenditure.

The latest adjustment is intended to support lawyers required to appear in court in prescribed professional attire while representing the Federal Government and its agencies.

The NSIWC directed ministries, departments and agencies seeking clarification on the implementation of the new rates to contact the commission.