The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has disclosed plans to increase the salaries of President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, federal lawmakers, and ministers, sparking immediate backlash from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, made the disclosure at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, arguing that the current pay structure for top political officeholders is “untenable and unrealistic.”
He noted that salaries for political leaders have remained unchanged since 2008 despite rising responsibilities and economic pressures.
“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. “You pay either a CBN governor or a DG ten times more than you pay the President. Or you pay him twenty times higher than the Attorney-General of the Federation. That is absolutely not right.”
However, the NLC strongly condemned the proposal, describing it as insensitive at a time when most Nigerians are struggling with inflation, high living costs, and widespread poverty.
The labour body warned that increasing politicians’ salaries while ordinary citizens face economic hardship would be unjust and could further erode public trust in government.
The development adds to ongoing debates about the cost of governance in Nigeria, with many citizens already calling for a cut in political perks rather than pay rises.