On Friday, November 16, 1979, a historic decision was taken in Nigeria regarding the salaries of public office holders, marking one of the earliest efforts to create a standardized pay structure for the nation’s top leaders. On that day, the salary of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was officially set at ₦50,000 per annum, a figure considered significant at the time when the Nigerian Naira was strong and enjoyed almost equal value with the U.S. dollar.
The announcement came during the democratic government of President Shehu Shagari, who had just been sworn in as the first executive president of Nigeria under the 1979 Constitution. Alongside the president’s pay, the government also approved the earnings of other high-ranking officials, including the Vice President, Ministers, Senators, Members of the House of Representatives, Governors, and Commissioners.
The Vice President’s salary was pegged slightly lower than that of the president, while Ministers and top civil servants also had their official earnings published to ensure transparency and accountability in governance. Senators and Members of the House of Representatives were given structured allowances and salaries that reflected the expectations of their office, but none came close to the president’s ₦50,000 annual package.
To put the figures in perspective, ₦50,000 in 1979 had the purchasing power to acquire houses in prime areas of Lagos, buy multiple cars, or cover international education for children abroad. At that time, the Naira stood stronger than the U.S. dollar, giving Nigerian officials significant global financial standing.
This development was widely discussed across the country, with citizens expressing mixed reactions. While some believed the salaries were befitting of the nation’s leaders, others argued that public officials should serve more for patriotism than for high earnings. Nevertheless, the announcement set a benchmark in Nigeria’s political and economic history, one that is still referenced today when comparing the salaries of past and present leaders.
Today, the issue of political office holders’ salaries and allowances remains a hot topic in Nigeria, especially as citizens contrast the modest official earnings of 1979 with the current figures that run into hundreds of millions of Naira annually.
That decision of November 16, 1979 is therefore remembered not only as a turning point in Nigeria’s governance structure but also as a yardstick for understanding how far the nation has come in terms of leadership remuneration, economic realities, and the value of the Naira.
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