Richer States, Poorer Morale: Inside Nigeria’s Christmas Bonus Contradictions
Christmas Bonuses, Political Branding, and the States that Understand the Assignment
The Communication Gap
NIGERIA’S civil service bonus culture is fractured not just by payment capacity but by communication ethics. In 2025, most state governments offered no official statement on bonuses despite stronger Federation and IGR receipts. Silence has become a political instrument—one that protects budgets but exposes leaders to morale criticism.
The States that Spoke Through Action
Oyo did not need festive rhetoric—its payroll calendar spoke for it. The 13th-month payment is no longer news; its consistency is the news. In Oyo, the bonus is governance syntax, not surprise vocabulary.
Akwa Ibom added cultural currency. The payment, locally called Enomber, was delivered ahead of deadline, fulfilling a promise issued publicly in November. The administration ensured that both state and local government workers received the bonus, narrowing a historically wide welfare gap between state and council staff.
Ebonyi did not pay a 13th-month salary but paid more than money: narrative expectation. For three years running, the state issued Christmas bonuses—₦100,000 in 2023, ₦150,000 in 2024, ₦150,000 again this December. Workers now expect ₦200,000, demonstrating how bonus culture creates labour confidence, not dependency.
Abia confirmed the second consecutive year of 13th-month payments, proving that bonus culture is leadership-driven, not federally enforced.
The States that Chose Substitution or Silence
Delta opted for wage relativity arguments and pension clearance over bonus payouts, framing the arrears clearance as festive generosity. But workers challenged the logic: welfare is additive, not substitutive.
Enugu’s union leaders pre-emptively softened the ground by calling the 13th-month bonus a largesse, but workers argued that formal demands were never submitted—meaning refusal was assumed, not confirmed.
Taraba revealed the most troubling story: inability to deliver payroll itself. Workers are owed up to four months salaries, with audits blamed for delays. The bonus question became secondary when salary dignity is already violated.
Investigative Verdict
Bonuses in Nigeria are not legal obligations but administrative mirrors. They reflect states that understand morale investment as political capital, governance continuity, and human stability infrastructure—and those that still treat welfare as expendable.
