The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has signaled the possibility of a salary increment for President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, senators, ministers, and other top public officials. Labour unions have already criticized it.
RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, described the current salary structure as “untenable and unrealistic,” noting that it has remained unchanged since 2008 despite the country’s growing economic and administrative demands.
“You cannot pay the President of Nigeria N1.5 million monthly with a population of over 200 million people and expect it to be taken seriously,” Shehu said.
He argued that the disparity between what heads of agencies and political leaders earn was “absolutely not right,” citing examples of Central Bank governors and directors-general earning up to ten times more than the President or Attorney-General of the Federation.
The remarks have, however, provoked outrage from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which dismissed the proposal as insensitive and unjustifiable at a time when millions of Nigerians are grappling with rising inflation, subsidy removal shocks, and worsening poverty.
“It is a shame that politicians are considering increasing their pay when ordinary citizens cannot afford basic necessities,” a senior NLC official said, warning that any increment for politicians without corresponding relief for workers could trigger unrest.
