Salaries of ministers in Nigeria

It is no news that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has appointed 48 Ministers that be in charge of the different ministries, departments, and agencies. This has raised questions in the minds of most Nigerians about the salaries and allowances that every Minister gets.

To some, the remuneration given to Ministers is bloated and a waste of taxpayers’ money, while others find it difficult to juxtapose or reconcile their affluent Lifestyle with their supposed monthly salary and allowances. 

I believe you also deserve to know, and come to your personal conclusion as you take out time to consider the facts on the ground.

This article details all to know about the salaries and allowances of the minister.

Approved salaries of minister

Like most other nations, Nigeria has a presidential system of administration. The president has the authority to select ministers to lead various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of government. Within their respective MDAs, these Ministers are in charge of effectively implementing government policies and programs. Nigerian ministers receive compensation for their work, just like in any other nation. The compensation package for Nigerian ministers will be covered in this article

The Remuneration Act of 2007 governs how much Nigerian ministers are paid. A minister in Nigeria is entitled to a base salary of N2,026,400 (two million, twenty-six thousand, four hundred naira) per year, according to this Act. This is a monthly salary of N168,866.67 (ninety-six thousand, eight hundred and sixty-six naira, sixty-seven kobo).

However, Nigerian Ministers are entitled to several incentives and allowances that greatly raise their overall compensation.

Allowances and benefits 

Nigerian ministers are entitled to several privileges under the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), many of which are intended to ensure their comfort and well-being while serving in office. This compensation is divided into two categories: regular compensation and other compensation.

Regular allowance

Motor vehicle fueling and maintenance

According to RMAFC, every minister is provided a monthly allowance of N126,650.00  for fueling and maintenance purposes. This is to offset the cost of fueling and to do routine checks and repairs on the official vehicle that is given to them. This amount to N1,519,800.00 annually.

Special assistant allowance

Ministers have several special assistants, and these assistants are paid. But the money is not always stated, and it’s not included in the allowance package.

Personal assistant allowance 

Each minister is entitled to a personal assistant who helps in scheduling meetings amongst other duties for the minister.

This remuneration is paid to each minister as a personal assistant. The sum for this allowance is N42,216.00, which sums up to N506,600 annually.

Domestic staff allowance

Each minister is entitled to domestic staff. Like cooks, cleaners, and house help. Though the list might be endless based on the need of a minister, the allowance is not endless as it’s paid to the minister. Hence the domestic staff allowance is N126,650.00 which sums up to N1,519,800.00 annually.

Entertainment allowance 

This is given to ministers to spend on entertainment and other activities that Foster joy and happiness in their lives. This allowance is N75,990.00 every month and sums up to N911,880.00 annually

Utility allowance

As the name implies, the utility allowance is given to the minister to offset all utility bills I’m the course of their appointment. The remuneration for this allowance is N50,660, which sums up to N607,920.00 annually.

Security allowance. 

The security is provided by the Department of State Security, and hence the allowance is not disbursed to the ministers.

Monitoring allowance

The monitoring allowance amounts to N33,773.33 monthly, which accrues to N405,280 annually

Newspaper allowance

This is the amount given to the minister for the procurement of any dailies of their choice. The Newspaper allowance Amounts to N25,330 monthly and N303,960.00 annually

Other allowances 

Other allowances and remunerations are paid either once or for the whole tenure of 

The RMAFC has also authorized the following benefits for ministers: N16.20 million for housing for four years, that is N4.05 million annually; N6.079 million for furniture. This furniture allowance is paid once in every four years; N0.81 million for leave; and N8.1 million for a motor vehicle.  We also have the duty of your allowance of N35,000 which is given when the need arises, as well as the Estacode allowance of 900 dollars. 

Total package at the end of the year and Tenure

A minister’s total monthly salary is fixed at N650,135.99 including all allowance, according to RMFAC data on the compensation package for public sector members. This implies that a minister receives N7.801 million annually. 

According to the estimate, each of the 48 ministers will be paid N31.2 million over four years.

A supplementary allocation of N37.28 million is given to each minister each year. 

 Each minister is also given a severance gratuity payout of N6.07 million after their mandate has been completed.

Conclusion

The remuneration for ministers seems to be modest, especially when the current inflation rate is taken into consideration. 

The ministers needed these basic salaries and allowances to allow them to contribute effectively and maximumly to the administration’s goals and objectives.

It’s worth noting that the new 48 ministers’ earnings may go up when RMAFC reviews the salaries and wages of political office holders as proposed. 

It has been reported that RMFAC had put up a proposal to review the salaries and allowances of public office holders was already in top gear. 

The proposal, which was developed during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, needs the approval of 2/3 of state assemblies before it is presented to the president for assent. 

 However, the case of misappropriation, embezzlement of funds, and corruption and misuse of public assets have been prevalent among ministers of previous administrations. This is where you see a minister living far beyond his earnings and remuneration. Most ministers use their portfolios to enrich themselves rather than to work in harmony with the administration that they serve and represent.