Zamfara Approves 95% Pay Rise for Health Workers as Implementation Begins
Zamfara State has approved a 95 per cent salary increase for health workers under a revised Consolidated Health Salary Structure.
The adjustment was communicated in a September 10 circular by Head of Civil Service Shehu Baraya and was stated to take effect from September 7, 2026.
Relevant ministries, departments and agencies were directed to implement the revised structure.
Approval and an effective date, however, do not by themselves establish that the higher salaries have already reached workers.
Revised structure includes hazard allowances
The circular sets revised salary scales and hazard allowances for clinical and non-clinical health workers.
For grades one to five, the reported hazard allowance is ₦15,200 for clinical workers and ₦14,250 for non-clinical workers.
For grades six to 12, the reported figures are ₦30,400 and ₦28,500 respectively.
Clinical workers on grades 13 to 15 are listed at ₦32,300, while non-clinical workers in the same range are listed at ₦30,400.
Government links increase to workforce stability
The state says the revised remuneration is intended to improve staff welfare, morale, retention and working conditions.
It also expects the policy to support productivity and healthcare delivery.
Those remain government objectives rather than demonstrated outcomes.
Whether the adjustment improves staffing or health services will depend on how consistently the new structure is implemented.
Attention shifts to September payroll
The immediate accountability test is whether eligible health workers receive the revised rates through the payroll system.
Key questions include which categories qualify, when the increase will appear in salaries and whether the September 7 effective date results in any arrears.
Zamfara health workers have previously raised concerns over salary structures and allowances, increasing scrutiny of how the new approval is implemented.
For the state government, the next measurable step is not another announcement but verifiable payment under the approved structure.
For workers, the critical evidence will be what appears on their payslips and enters their accounts.