At a time when Nigeria’s economy is facing severe challenges, the proposal by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to increase the salaries and allowances of top public office holders is being viewed as highly insensitive. According to the RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, the commission is nearing completion of plans to raise the pay of several high-ranking officials, including the President, Vice President, Chief Justice of Nigeria, governors, and others. This comes amidst widespread concern that Nigeria harbors the largest population of extremely poor people in the world, making the proposed pay increase for a few privileged officials seem completely detached from reality.

Shehu’s justification that public officials’ salaries have not been reviewed since 2008 raises skepticism. Many believe the current perks and allowances attached to these positions are already excessive, warranting cuts rather than increases. Given the dire economic situation, what is needed now are sacrifices from public officials and a reduction in public spending, not bigger paychecks for those at the top.

While there is some justification for raising the pay of judicial officers to insulate them from corruption, there is no such argument for other public officials, whose poor governance has plunged the country into economic ruin, increasing poverty and national debt.

The RMAFC’s proposal is especially concerning as it is not linked to any new sources of revenue. Nigeria’s main income source, oil, has suffered massive losses due to theft, with the Federal Government reporting a loss of N287.95 billion in the third quarter of 2022 alone. By mid-2022, the country’s debt had risen to N42.84 trillion. The government is borrowing heavily to cover salaries, and over 90 percent of national revenue is spent on debt servicing. Under these circumstances, any salary increase for public officials represents poor economic judgment.

A comparison can be drawn with former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, whose plan for unfunded tax cuts worth £45 billion led to her resignation after only six weeks in office, as it triggered a collapse in the British pound and soaring borrowing costs. Similarly, RMAFC, President Muhammadu Buhari (retired), governors, and lawmakers must provide concrete plans for funding their proposed spending increases rather than burdening Nigerian taxpayers.

Nigeria’s crumbling infrastructure exacerbates the economic strain. The country has seen no significant improvements in power generation, with transmission capacity stuck at 4,000 megawatts, and it faces a World Bank estimate that suggests Nigeria will need to spend $10 billion annually for 30 years to repair its outdated infrastructure.

Despite these economic hardships, public officials refuse to curtail their lavish lifestyles. The Presidential Air Fleet, with at least eight aircraft, is larger than some domestic airlines. Nigeria’s lawmakers, already the highest-paid in the world according to The Economist, also stand to benefit from this proposed pay hike. Additionally, former governors in states like Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Edo, Rivers, and Kwara enjoy enormous pensions for life, receiving cars regularly, despite only serving a maximum of eight years in office. In contrast, civil servants, who work for 35 years, often die while waiting for their pensions.

Under Buhari’s administration, Nigeria has endured two economic recessions in five years, and while the World Bank recorded a 3.6 percent GDP growth in 2021, the country remains in economic turmoil.

State governments, many of which claim insolvency, are unable to pay the national minimum wage of N30,000 per month, which was implemented in 2019. In Benue State, pensioners report not receiving payments for 75 months, and many other states have similar backlogs of unpaid salaries and pensions. Some even fail to remit workers’ pension contributions to the pension fund.

In this context, there is no justification for reviewing and increasing the pay of public officials. In 2018, Nigeria was named the world’s poverty capital by the World Poverty Clock, with 87 million people living on less than $1.90 a day. The World Bank projects that three million more Nigerians could fall into extreme poverty by the end of 2022.

Unemployment remains a pressing issue, with an official rate of 33.3 percent, and youth unemployment climbing to 42.5 percent. Additionally, UNESCO estimates that Nigeria has 20.2 million out-of-school children, second only to India. Inflation surged to a 17-year high of 20.77 percent in September, and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s benchmark lending rate is now 15.5 percent. In such challenging times, the focus should be on austerity, not extravagance.

The RMAFC’s push for a pay increase is disconnected from the economic realities on the ground. Former presidents, governors, deputies, and top military officials already enjoy disproportionate benefits. A calculation by this newspaper estimated that the severance packages for Buhari, governors, lawmakers, and political appointees would total N63 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, N23.57 billion has been allocated for new vehicle purchases in 2023, a rise from the N22.5 billion budgeted in 2022.

Effective leadership is what Nigeria needs to navigate out of its economic quagmire, but Buhari’s actions suggest otherwise. His frequent international trips, often accompanied by large delegations, come at a great cost to the treasury, which is illogical for a country living on borrowed funds. For example, Buhari reportedly attended the UN General Assembly in New York in September with a sizable entourage. The 2023 budget allocates N508.71 million for food and refreshments for the Presidency. In comparison, former U.S. President Barack Obama famously paid for his family’s Thanksgiving dinner in 2014 out of his own pocket.

Given Nigeria’s precarious economic position, the proposed salary increase for public officials is unjustifiable. The RMAFC should abandon this plan and focus on projects that can benefit the entire population. What Nigeria needs right now is real leadership—leaders who prioritize the nation’s economic recovery, not those who indulge in luxurious living at the expense of the suffering public.