The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has signalled plans to review the salaries of political office holders in Nigeria, labelling current earnings as “inadequate, unrealistic, and outdated” given the rising responsibilities and economic challenges.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, RMAFC Chairman Mohammed Shehu revealed that President Bola Tinubu currently earns N1.5 million monthly, while ministers receive less than N1 million—a figure unchanged 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,” Shehu lamented.
He criticised the disparity, noting, “You cannot pay a minister less than N1m per month since 2008 and expect him to put in his best without necessarily being involved in some other things. You pay either a CBN governor or the DG ten times more than you pay the President. That is just not right. Or you pay him [the head of an agency] twenty times higher than the Attorney-General of the Federation. That is absolutely not right.”
The proposal has met resistance from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which argues that it overlooks Nigeria’s worsening inequality and the hidden perks already boosting politicians’ incomes.
However, Shehu clarified that RMAFC’s mandate is constitutionally limited to setting salaries for political, judicial, and legislative office holders, not civil servants or public sector workers.
“We are strictly restricted to political office holders, governors, senators, legislators, ministers, DGs, and other people,” he said, urging public support for “reasonable living salaries” to reflect their duties despite widespread opposition.
In a related development, Shehu announced the initiation of a long-overdue review of Nigeria’s vertical revenue-sharing formula, which has remained unchanged since 1992.
The current allocation grants 52.68 per cent to the Federal Government, 26.72 per cent to states, 20.60 per cent to local governments, and 4.18 per cent to special funds (1 per cent each for the Federal Capital Territory and ecological fund, 1.68 per cent for the natural resources development fund, and 0.5 per cent for stabilization).
“In line with this constitutional responsibility and in response to the evolving socio-economic, political and fiscal realities of our nation, the Commission has resolved to initiate the process of reviewing the revenue allocation formula to reflect emerging socio-economic realities,” he explained.
Shehu highlighted that recent constitutional amendments have increased state governments’ fiscal burdens, necessitating a re-evaluation of fiscal federalism to promote economic growth and equity.
He referenced a 2022 proposal under former Chairman Elias Mbam, suggesting 45.17 per cent for the Federal Government, 29.79 per cent for states, and 21.04 per cent for local governments, which the Muhammadu Buhari administration ignored. As Nigeria continues to grapple with revenue-sharing debates dating back to pre-independence, the RMAFC’s latest moves signal a push for reform amid economic pressures.