How much President Tinubu and ministers dey collect as salary - why dem wan review am?

Di reviewing of salaries of political office holders for Nigeria don dey gada plenty reactions for di kontri.

Dis dey come afta di Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) announce say dem don begin di process to review di current Revenue Allocation Formula between di federal, state and local governments.

RMAFC Chairman Mohammmed Shehu during one presser for Abuja, Nigeria capital argue say di current salary wey politicians dey receive too small, unrealistic and outdated for di face of dia rising responsibilities and economic challenge.

Oga Shehu say di current monthly salary of President Bola Tinubu na 1.5 million naira ($977), while ministers dey earn less dan N1 million evri month.

"You dey pay di President of di Federal Republic of Nigeria 1.5m naira a month, wit a population of ova 200 million pipo. You no fit pay minister less dan one million naira per month since 2008 and expect am to put im best and e no go involve for oda tins."

Di chairmo argue say meanwhile, Central Bank of Nigeria govnor or di Director General dey collect 10 times more dan di salary wey di president dey collect.

"E no dey not right. Or you pay am [di head of an agency] twenty times higher dan di Attorney-General of di Federation. E no dey right at all," Oga Shehu add.

Oga Shehu disclose say di last time dem carry out comprehensive revenue allocation formula review na for 1992, and dem dey adjust am small-small through executive orders from 2002 to date.

E say sake of dat dem wan review di current Revenue Allocation Formula (RAF) to ensure equity, fairness, and responsiveness to di changing social economic realities of di kontri.

E describe di exercise as constitutional responsibility wey don become imperative in light of Nigeria evolving socio-economic and political landscape.

As tori pipo ask if di commission go review di salary of civil servants too, di RMAFC boss say dia work dey strictly restricted to political office holders, govnors, senators, legislators, ministers, DGs, and oda pipo.

"Time don reach wey pipo like you and odas suppose support di commission to come up wit reasonable living salaries for ministers, DGs, plus di President.

Why RMAFC dey review di salary of politicians

According to Oga Shehu, dem dey review di revenue allocation formular to produce a fair, just, and equitable revenue-sharing formula wey go reflect di current responsibilities, needs, and capacities of di three tiers of govments in line with di constitutional roles.

"Di recent constitutional amendments, wey share responsibilities like power generation, railways, and correctional services to subnational govment don place financial and administrative burdens on dem. Dis situation don make am essential to re-evaluate di structure of fiscal federalism to foster economic growth and ensure sustainability," e tok.

E add say under di current revenue allocation formula, di federal govment share na 52.6 per cent, 26.7 per cent for di state governments, and 20.6 per cent dey allocated to di local governments.

Di committee also give one per cent each to di Federal Capital Territory, ecological fund, natural resources, plus di stabilisation fund under the vertical revenue allocation.

Speaking further, e quote Paragraph 32 (b), Part I of di Third Schedule of di1999 Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), wey compulsory RMAFC to "review, from time to time, di revenue allocation formulae and principles in operation to ensure conformity wit changing realities".

"In line wit dis constitutional responsibility and in response to di evolving socio-economic, political, and fiscal realities of our nation, di commission don reolve to initiate di process of reviewing di revenue allocation formula to reflect emerging socio-economic realities.

Nigerians reaction

Some Nigerians don react following di announcement of di RMAFC, while some question why di commission go wan add to di salary of politicians wey already dey live very lavish lifestyle while dia citizens dey suffer, and govment dey find am difficult to pay N70,000 minimum wage.

Odas hail di initiative as ogbonge development.

PRESS RELEASE

RMAFC SET TO REVIEW THE REVENUE ALLOCATION FORMULA

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission has formally commenced the process of reviewing Nigeria’s current Revenue Allocation Formula (RAF) to ensure equity, fairness, and responsiveness to the… pic.twitter.com/UnNNPm9BgC
— Fed Min of Info & Nat’l Orien (@FMINONigeria) August 19, 2025