The Federal Government is considering increasing the salaries of political office holders, according to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday, the Chairman of the Commission, Mohammed Shehu, described the current pay for Nigerian leaders as “inadequate, unrealistic, and outdated.”
He said President Bola Tinubu earns N1.5 million monthly, while ministers receive less than N1 million — figures that have not changed since 2008.
“You are paying the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria N1.5m a month, with a population of over 200 million people. Everybody believes that it is a joke,” Mr Shehu said.
He added: “You cannot pay a minister less than N1 million per month since 2008 and expect him to put in his best without necessarily being involved in some other things.”
Related News:
- Dogara Clarifies Salary and Allowances as House Speaker, Says His Allowance Was N25m and Salary N400k
- Ex-Senator Claims N29 Million Earnings Not Enough for Nigerian Lawmakers
Mr Shehu explained that RMAFC’s duty was to review the pay of political, judicial and legislative officers — not civil servants — and stressed the need for realistic remuneration.
“It’s about time that people like you and others should support the commission to come up with reasonable living salaries for ministers, DGs, and the President,” he appealed.
However, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the move, saying politicians already enjoy huge perks and allowances hidden from the public.
A senior NLC official told The PUNCH: “The President’s salary may be about N1.5m a month, but when allowances are added, the total package can exceed N100 million.”
He accused political leaders of ignoring rising poverty.
“This inequality has destroyed the middle class and pushed millions into poverty,” he said.
The labour group argued that instead of raising salaries, the government should cut travel allowances and medical bills for politicians and invest the money in schools, hospitals and job creation.
Meanwhile, the RMAFC also announced plans to review Nigeria’s revenue-sharing formula among federal, state and local governments. The current formula was adopted in 1992 and allocates 52.68% to the Federal Government, 26.72% to states, and 20.60% to local governments.
Shehu said the planned review would be “inclusive, data-driven and transparent,” involving wide consultations.
Professor Uche Uwaleke, a finance expert, urged the government to ensure that any extra funds to states were spent on development.
“We can say the extra money should be for infrastructure funds,” he said, suggesting Nigeria benchmark its system against other federal countries like Canada, Brazil and India.
Despite several attempts since the 1990s, Nigeria has been unable to change its revenue-sharing formula due to political resistance.