Pay Structure of the Nigerian Political System

The Nigerian political system holds great prominence within the country. It consists of highly influential individuals who have developed significant skills over time, making them suitable for their roles in politics. For the system to function seamlessly, it is sectioned into different parts, each with its particular purposes and responsibilities to address a wide range of issues. Similar to the structure of the political system, remuneration within the Nigerian political system is also organized into various categories. While the governor of a state receives a different level of compensation compared to the president of the state, this principle also applies to other positions within the government framework as well.

The Nigerian Political System

The Nigerian political system is a federal republic that operates a presidential system of government which explains why the president of the country is the head of the country. Below is a layout of the Nigerian Political system: 

The Executive Branch

This branch houses the heads of the country - the president and the vice president

President

The president of Nigeria, also referred to as the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, is the head of state and holds the highest order of authority in the country. The president assumes this position after being elected by the citizens of the country to serve for 4 years. The good side to this is that the president can serve an additional 4 years as a second term if the people enjoyed his first tenure. The opportunity for a president to serve a second term provides continuity in governance and allows for the implementation of policies and programs. Also, the president can use the chance to build more achievements and address pending and ongoing challenges. 

Vice President 

The Vice President is the Second-in-Command to the President of Nigeria and is elected on the same ticket as the President. Every presidential candidate has a Vice President attached to their ticket; therefore, when a particular president wins an election, the Vice-president automatically wins too. The Vice President assists the President in carrying out every of their duties. Apart from this, the vice president can also be assigned certain assignments on behalf of the President. These assignments can include representing or standing in for the president during events or committee meetings. 

Legislative Branch

This branch has a National assembly that houses 2 prominent chambers. 

National Assembly 

The national assembly is commonly referred to as the legislative arm of the Nigerian government and it currently operates two chambers - The House of Representatives and the Senate. 

The House of Representatives 

Of the two chambers, this is the lower one and it consists of 306 members who come together to make laws and participate in legislative functions, representing different states of the country. Their duties also involve voicing the interests of their constituencies and ensuring that proper law is passed to favor the community members. Also, the House of Representatives is bestowed with the power to initiate impeachment orders against executive government officials who violate the rules or are found with any form of misconduct. 

Read also: Monthly and Annual Salaries of House of Representative Members in Nigeria 

The Judiciary/Judicial branch

The judiciary consists majorly of all the courts that govern and guide the national government. This is to say that this branch of government interprets and applies the law to ensure that justice is fairly and impartially administered. Here are the main departments of the judiciary: 

The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the highest in the country and it serves as the department that has the ultimate jurisdiction to hear and decide appeals for all criminal and civil cases. The other duties of the Supreme Court involve interpreting the Constitution, resolving disputes between the federal and state governments, and also hearing appeals from the lower courts. 

Court of Appeal

The name already says enough. As the second highest court in Nigeria, it has been conferred the authority to address and grant appeals from the high court, customary court, Sharia court, and every other lower court. The court of appeal ensures that no bias is entertained and that the law is applied correctly in the lower courts. Therefore, it can be concluded that the court acts as a check on all decisions made by the lower courts and provides an avenue for parties dissatisfied with the judgment of their cases to appeal. 

Federal High Court

The federal high court addresses all matters relating to the federal government, laws, constitution, and disputes. All cases of economic and financial crimes, intellectual property rights, and immigration matters are brought before the federal government for proper address and judgment. The Federal High Court gives these judgments fairly in such a way that it contributes to the effective functioning of the nation. 

State High Courts

Nigeria has 36 states and each state has a high court that addresses all issues that ensue within the state. The state high court, being the highest court within the state's judicial system, handles all types of cases and provides access to justice for citizens and residents of each state. Also, they contribute to resolving legal disputes and enforcing laws within their respective states. 

Customary Court of Appeal 

This is the section of the judiciary that addresses issues related to traditional and customary laws. Issues attended to by the customary court of appeal may include marriage, divorce, chieftaincy, inheritance, land tenure, and other customary practices. It could also involve settling conflicts among traditional rulers and authorities. 

Sharia Court

Mostly, the Sharia court attends to Islamic-related issues and makes judgments based on Islamic laws. The court applies Islamic principles and interpretation of the Quaran in addressing matters and making decisions. While the Sharia court and laws are mostly applicable in northern parts of Nigeria, it does not count in some other states within the country. 

State Government 

For each of the 36 states within the country, there is a governor. The governor is appointed into that position after a gubernatorial election; the candidate with the highest level of votes wins the elections and serves the state for 4 years. They are seen as the leaders of the state and are expected to act accordingly in the political office. 

Local Government 

The local government is the third tier of government and is responsible for community administration. Each state has local governments that are named according to areas within the state.  A local government is spearheaded by a local government chairman and councilors who represent different wards and constituencies within the local government. The main function of the local government is to identify the basic needs of community members and make arrangements to provide these amenities which could be water supply, good roads, health centers, or even primary education. 

Payment structure 

It is almost possible to think that the Nigerian political system would operate a certain pay structure for all elected and appointed officials. Just like you, we've also been curious about the pattern remunerations take for political officers, and here is what research revealed: 

According to the decision made by the RMAFC (Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission), here is a designed payment structure for the Nigerian Political System in no particular order : 

President 

• Basic Salary: N4,880,700/month

• Hardship allowance: N1,850,365/month

• Constituency: N 8,886,500/month

• Leave Allowance: N350,470/leave

Vice President 

• Basic Salary: N2,053,200/month

• Hardship allowance:  N1,515,750.25 

• Constituency Allowance: N7,356,900

Federal Ministers (payment per annum)

• Basic Salary -NGN 942,000 per month/ NGN 11,304,000 annually

• Motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance of N1,519,800 

• Domestic staff – N851,880 

• Entertainment – N607,920 

• Utilities – N405,200 

• Personal Assistant allowances – N506,000 

• Leave allowance – N202,640

• Tour duty – N35,000

• Housing allowance – N4,052,800

Senate President 

• Basic Salary: NGN 750,000 monthly and 9 million naira per annum

• Constituency Allowance: 20% of the annual salary - NGN 1.8 million 

Read also: Monthly and Annual Salaries of Senators in Nigeria

Deputy Senate President

• Basic Salary: NGN 670,000 monthly and about 8 million naira per annum.

• Duty Tour allowance: NGN 32,000 per night. 

Chief Whip

• Basic Salary: NGN 700,000 monthly and about 8.4 million naira per annum.

• Duty Tour allowance: NGN 28,000 per night

Ordinary Senator

• Basic Salary: NGN 670,000 monthly and about 8 million naira per annum.

• Duty Tour allowance: NGN23,000 per night

House of Representatives 

• Speakers - Basic Salary - NGN800,00 monthly

• Members - Basic Salary - NGN 450,000 monthly

According to different sources within the house, the information is that members of the House of Rep do not at all times get allowances which makes it difficult to tag a certain amount to their allowance. 

State House of Assembly

• Basic Salary - NGN355,000 monthly, 4.2 million naira annually

• Consistency allowance - NGN 87,500monthly,  1 million naira annually

State Government

• Basic Salary - Governor -  2.2million naira monthly, 26.4 million naira annually.

• Basic Salary - Deputy Governor - 2 million naira monthly, 24 million naira annually.

• State Commissioners - 1.5million naira monthly, 18 million naira annually

Local Government 

• Local Government Chairman - 1.1 million naira monthly, 13.2 million naira annually

• Local Government Vice Chairman - NGN 900,000 monthly, 10.8 million naira annually

• Secretaries - NGN 500,000 monthly, 3.6 million naira annually.

• Councillor - NGN 450,000 monthly, 5.4million naira annually

Over time, this structure has been reviewed and will be continuously reviewed. Therefore, it is important to keep track of the latest version as they are being evaluated and restated by the political bodies in charge. 

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