The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been known to be the first president in Nigeria with the highest number of ministerial nominees in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic (1999 to date) with 48.
It was noted that since 1999 till date, Tinubu happens to be the first President with 48 ministers by submitting 2 ministerial lists to the senate.
From the era of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 till the era of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 history made it known that none of the Fourth Republic Presidents nominated 48 ministers.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo under the umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party in 1999 reviewed his cabinet to reduce the number of ministries and ministers to 27 and 40, respectively, before he left office in 2007.
In 2007, Yar’Adua had a 39-member cabinet made up of 32 men and seven women under the Peoples Democratic Party.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 had 33 nominees to be ministers in his cabinet, including nine from the Umar Yar’Adua administration while President Muhammadu Buhari had 36 ministers and during his second term, he chooses 42 ministers.
A week ago, Tinubu nominated 28 persons to be cleared by the Senate as ministers. On Wednesday, the President sent another list of 19 nominees, making a total of 47 potential cabinet members and later added Festus Keyamon which made it 48 ministers.
The salary structure of Nigerian Ministers is governed by the Remuneration Act of 2007. According to this Act, the basic salary of a Nigerian Minister is ₦2,026,400 (Two Million, Twenty-Six Thousand, Four Hundred Naira) per annum. This translates to a monthly salary of ₦168,866.67 (One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Six Naira, Sixty-Seven Kobo).
Nigerian Ministers are entitled to various allowances and benefits that significantly increase their overall remuneration.
Ministers are entitled to a fully furnished official residence. The government also provides the Minister with a monthly utility allowance of ₦400,000 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) to offset the cost of electricity, water and other utilities.
They are entitled to a brand new official car that is replaced every four years. The Minister is also entitled to a driver and an official vehicle maintenance allowance of ₦1,519,350 (One Million, Five Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty Naira) per annum. They are entitled to a maximum of three domestic staff. The government pays the salaries and allowances of these staff.
Nigerian Ministers are entitled to 24-hour security provided by the State Security Service (SSS). The government also provides a security vote of ₦22,500,000 (Twenty-Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) per annum to cater for the security needs of the Minister and his or her family, a first-class air ticket for official travels. They are also entitled to travel allowances and estacode (daily subsistence allowance) while on official trips.
Including medical allowances, entertainment allowances, and newspaper allowances.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, disclosed that he and other ministers earn a monthly salary of N942,000 after heavy tax deductions.
He disclosed this during an interview on Channels TV’s current affairs programme, Politics Today, on Monday.
The minister also said they don’t have allowances as ministers, as widely speculated, except a duty tour allowance when they have to travel for work.
Experts also said the increase in ministerial nominees would likely worsen things and high governance costs for the minister.
An economist stated that the increase in the number of ministers was unnecessary and would escalate the cost of governance.
According to him, “What they have done is dangerous. For a long time, we have been complaining about the cost of governance. We looked at the number of institutions that they had and then said the government should reduce them. And they did, but there were so many overlaps. To now talk of 48 ministers doesn’t make sense.”
“The implication is that they will further increase the cost of governance. At this level of our democracy, we don’t need this number of ministers; you can merge the ministries and still get the functions delivered. We need a leaner but very effective government. “