Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has faulted the plan to increase the salaries of political office holders, describing it as “highly insensitive” in light of Nigeria’s deepening economic crisis.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Falana criticised the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) for what he termed “misplaced priorities,” stressing that millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive daily.
“The RMAFC seems to have overlooked the harsh living conditions in the country and the daily hardships endured by ordinary people,” he said.
Falana cited recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which shows that over 133 million Nigerians are trapped in multidimensional poverty.
According to him, any attempt to review upward the salaries of politicians at this time would not only be “tone-deaf” but “grossly unfair” to citizens grappling with inflation, food insecurity, and dwindling purchasing power.
His comments came in reaction to RMAFC’s plan to adjust the remuneration of public office holders. At a press briefing in Abuja on August 18, 2025, the Commission’s Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, disclosed that the current pay structure for political office holders has remained unchanged since 2008.
Shehu revealed that the President presently earns ₦1.5 million monthly, while ministers receive less than ₦1 million, amounts he argued were “no longer realistic” given the scope of their responsibilities. He also pointed out that some heads of federal agencies currently earn more than ministers.
However, labour unions and civil society groups, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), have rejected the idea, warning that it would worsen inequality and further burden an already strained economy. They argue that politicians enjoy significant allowances and perks beyond their basic salaries.
Shehu clarified that the RMAFC’s mandate covers the salaries of political, judicial, and legislative officers, not civil servants. He also disclosed that the Commission has begun reviewing Nigeria’s decades-old revenue-sharing formula, which has not been altered since 1992. The current formula allocates 52.68% of federally collected revenue to the federal government, 26.72% to states, and 20.60% to local governments.
Previous attempts to revise the formula have failed due to political resistance. The ongoing review, according to Shehu, is aimed at reflecting present socio-economic realities and addressing the overconcentration of resources at the federal level.
Falana, however, insists that without prioritising policies that directly address mass poverty and hardship, any increase in political salaries would be unjustifiable.
