Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South in the National Assembly, has revealed that each Nigerian Senator receives ₦21 million every month as allowances and running costs.
He shared this information during an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday.
Senator Sumaila, elected under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), explained that his official salary is less than ₦1 million, with take-home pay reduced to about ₦600,000 after deductions.
However, he stated that Senate leadership has increased the total pay for lawmakers, bringing it to ₦21 million per month for each Senator.
“My monthly salary is less than ₦1million. After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over ₦600,000. Given the increase effected, in the Senate, each Senator gets ₦21million every month as running cost,” he said.
This revelation has sparked renewed discussions about the salaries and allowances of Nigerian lawmakers.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently accused members of the National Assembly of giving themselves inflated salaries and allowances, which he claims go against the law.
Additionally, a former Senator, Shehu Sani, had earlier disclosed that Senators receive ₦13.5 million monthly as running costs, alongside ₦750,000 for other expenses.
In response to these claims, Muhammed Bello Shehu, Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), stated that each Senator officially receives ₦1,063,860 per month in salary and allowances. This amount covers basic salary, vehicle maintenance, personal assistant, domestic staff, entertainment, utilities, newspapers, wardrobe, house maintenance, and constituency allowance.
Beyond Boders further reports that the RMAFC chairman emphasized that only the allowances specified in the Remuneration (Amendment) Act of 2008 are legitimate, and any additional benefits should be justified by those making the claims.
He also mentioned that the commission lacks the power to enforce the proper implementation of lawmakers’ pay packages.
Furthermore, he noted that aside from top government officials like the President, Vice President, Senate President, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, public and legislative officers no longer receive housing benefits.
