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 N1m.

The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission disclosed the new rates in a circular dated July 14, 2026, signed by its Acting Secretary, Adighiogu A. Chiadi.

Under the revised allowance structure, lawyers employed by the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Council will receive N1m annually. Legal officers in other federal ministries, departments and agencies who perform strictly legal functions will receive N600,000 per year.

The commission said the new rates were approved by the Federal Government as part of a revised allowance structure for state counsel and legal officers in the Federal Public Service.

The revised rates will take effect from January 1, 2027, with the affected MDAs directed to fund the payments from their overhead allocations.

The N1m allowance represents an increase of N700,000, or about 233 per cent, over the N300,000 robe allowance previously reported for lawyers in the Justice Ministry. The N600,000 rate is twice the previously reported N300,000 figure.

The earlier N300,000 allowance was disclosed in 2021 by 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 said about 860 ministry lawyers were entitled to the allowance, costing the government approximately N258m annually.

However, the latest NSIWC circular does not expressly state the previous allowance applicable to every category covered by the new review. The N300,000 figure should therefore be regarded as the previously reported rate for Justice Ministry lawyers, rather than a confirmed former rate for all categories.

The robe allowance is intended to support lawyers required to appear in court in prescribed professional attire while representing the Federal Government or its agencies.