The Federal Government says deductions from October salaries are due to new mandatory contributions to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The Federal Government has clarified that the recent deductions from the October 2025 salaries of civil servants were due to the commencement of mandatory contributions to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In a circular titled “Implementation of Statutory Deduction for the National Health Insurance Scheme” obtained in Abuja, the government explained that the deductions were in line with the NHIS Act, which mandates every employee to contribute to the national health insurance pool.
“The Federal Government wishes to inform all federal public servants that the implementation of statutory deduction for the National Health Insurance Scheme has commenced with effect from October 2025,” the circular stated.
“Accordingly, a mandatory NHIS contribution has been deducted from every federal government employee’s monthly salary beginning from the month of October. This adjustment accounts for the observed reduction in the October 2025 salary across MDAs.”
The explanation follows widespread complaints by federal workers on social media over unexpected salary cuts ranging between ₦1,000 and ₦2,000.
The NHIS, which aims to provide affordable and quality healthcare to Nigerians, became compulsory for all sectors after former President Muhammadu Buhari signed the National Health Insurance Authority Act 2021 into law.
During the Senate debate on the bill, its sponsor and former lawmaker representing Kwara Central, Dr. Yahaya Oloriegbe, said the legislation would “establish a robust, affordable and sustainable financial mechanism for health” and help Nigeria achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
The Federal Government maintained that the NHIS scheme will ultimately benefit civil servants by reducing out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and expanding access to medical services.
It noted that nearly 99 per cent of federal employees are already covered under the scheme.
Last week, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced that national health insurance coverage had expanded from 20 million to 60 million Nigerians, describing it as a major step toward achieving equitable healthcare for all.
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