The federal government, through the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), has hinted at plans to increase the salaries of President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and other political office holders.

This is coming amid economic hardship pummelling millions of Nigerians.

The RMAFC chairman, Mohammed Shehu, told journalists in Abuja on Monday that Mr Tinubu currently earns N1.5 million monthly, while ministers receive less than N1 million, figures he described as “a joke” considering their responsibilities.

“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,” Mr Shehu said.

He argued that while heads of agencies such as the Central Bank governor earn up to ten times more, ministers and the attorney-general of the federation are grossly underpaid compared to their workloads.

He added, “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.’’

The RMAFC boss stressed that the commission was not responsible for setting the minimum wage for ordinary workers, but constitutionally empowered to fix salaries for political, judicial, and legislative office holders.

Mr Shehu also announced that the commission had begun reviewing Nigeria’s controversial revenue-sharing formula, which determines how federally collected revenues are shared between the federal, state, and local governments.

The current formula — last adjusted in 1992 under military rule — allocates 52.68 per cent to the federal government, 26.72 per cent to states, and 20.60 per cent to local governments.

Previous efforts to revise the formula failed under ex-presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, both of whom  ignored recommendations to cut Abuja’s lion’s share in favour of states.

According to Mr Shehu, the new review will be “inclusive, data-driven, and transparent,” with input from governors, lawmakers, the judiciary, civil society, and development partners.

He noted that with the passage of a new law in April, the RMAFC now enjoys financial autonomy, which could give momentum to the review process.

The clamour for increased salaries for politicians, while workers battle inflation, underscores a disconnect between Nigerian leaders and the citizens.

Nigeria’s inflation rate, though dropping to 21.88 per cent in July 2025 according to the National Bureau of Statistics, continues to erode wages. Food inflation remains high at 22.74 per cent, leaving millions struggling to feed their families.