Abuja, Nigeria (Aug. 21, 2025) — The Federal Government, through the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), has signalled plans to review the salaries of political office holders, arguing that current pay for positions such as the President, Vice President, ministers and lawmakers is no longer realistic. The move has sparked immediate pushback from labour and opposition figures.
What RMAFC said
RMAFC chairman Mohammed Shehu told reporters in Abuja that President Bola Tinubu currently earns ₦1.5 million monthly, while ministers earn under ₦1 million, figures he said have remained unchanged since 2008. He described the pay as “inadequate, unrealistic and outdated,” and said a review was due.
Shehu also clarified RMAFC’s remit: the commission determines remuneration for political, judicial and legislative office holders only — not civil servants or the national minimum wage. Offices covered include the President and Vice President, ministers, governors, legislators and certain heads of agencies.
Is a pay rise approved?
Not yet. A review requires formal adoption within Nigeria’s legal framework. The extant pay structure for political/public/judicial office holders remains rooted in the 2002 Act and its 2008 amendment, which still govern official remuneration. A previous 114% increase proposed in June 2023 was never endorsed by the National Assembly or signed into law.
Why now?
RMAFC argues that job responsibilities and economic realities have outpaced official pay, and that some agency heads earn multiple times more than ministers or the President, creating distortions across government. The commission says it is initiating a broader revenue-allocation review at the same time.
Blowback and politics
- Labour & civil society: Labour and civic voices call the timing “insensitive,” citing hardship and stagnant wages for ordinary Nigerians. Coverage of the labour backlash has dominated headlines since the hint of a review surfaced this week.
- Opposition parties: The African Democratic Congress (ADC) urged the FG to shelve the idea, calling it tone-deaf. Peter Obi also criticised the plan as “insensitive” and “scandalous.”
- Advocacy groups: Commentators on Channels TV argued that officials seeking higher pay should “resign and join the private sector,” underscoring public anger.
What changes, if any, are on the table?
RMAFC has not released a detailed pay table or percentages for a new package. (In 2023 it touted a 114% uplift across political/judicial/public offices, but that proposal stalled.) Until a new determination is formally adopted and reflected in law/appropriations, no salary increase applies.
