Article Was Last Updated August 26, 2026
The salary of governors in Nigeria is ₦185,308.75 per month as basic salary under the current Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) remuneration table. The regular remuneration package is ₦648,580.62 per month, or ₦7,782,967.50 per year.
RMAFC determines the remuneration of state governors and deputy governors. Its remuneration table lists their basic salary, regular allowances, other benefits, severance gratuity and motor vehicle loan.
Salary of Governors in Nigeria 2026
A Nigerian state governor earns a basic salary of ₦2,223,705 per year, which equals ₦185,308.75 per month.
In addition, the RMAFC package includes a hardship allowance of ₦1,111,852.50 and a consistency allowance of ₦4,447,410 per year. These allowances bring the regular annual remuneration to ₦7,782,967.50, or ₦648,580.62 per month.
| Governor’s Remuneration | Amount |
| Basic salary per year | ₦2,223,705 |
| Basic salary per month | ₦185,308.75 |
| Hardship allowance per year | ₦1,111,852.50 |
| Consistency allowance per year | ₦4,447,410 |
| Regular remuneration per year | ₦7,782,967.50 |
| Regular remuneration per month | ₦648,580.62 |
| Leave allowance | ₦222,370.50 |
| Severance gratuity | ₦6,671,115 |
| Motor vehicle loan | ₦8,894,820 |
The RMAFC table lists the motor vehicle amount as a loan, while the severance amount applies after successful completion of tenure. Neither amount forms part of the governor’s regular annual salary.
Governor Salary Structure and Allowances in Nigeria
The governor’s regular remuneration combines the basic salary with hardship and consistency allowances.
The basic salary stands at ₦2,223,705 per year.
Hardship allowance equals 50% of the basic salary, giving ₦1,111,852.50 per year.
While the consistency allowance equals 200% of the basic salary, giving ₦4,447,410 per year.
Together, these payments produce the regular annual remuneration of ₦7,782,967.50.
The RMAFC table also lists accommodation, furniture, medical care, duty tour allowance, estacode and other official benefits.
RMAFC lists several additional provisions as TBP, including motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance, special assistant, personal assistant, domestic staff, entertainment, utilities, security and newspapers or periodicals.
The leave allowance equals 10% of the annual basic salary. It therefore amounts to ₦222,370.50 per year.
The motor vehicle loan equals 400% of the annual basic salary. It therefore amounts to ₦8,894,820 and must be repaid before the governor’s tenure ends.
The severance gratuity equals 300% of the annual basic salary. It therefore amounts to ₦6,671,115 after successful completion of tenure.
Some Nigerian websites add the vehicle loan and severance gratuity to the annual salary and describe the result as the governor’s total annual pay. That calculation does not represent the regular annual salary because the vehicle amount is a loan and the gratuity is an end-of-tenure payment.
Other Benefits Nigerian Governors Receive
Nigerian governors receive several official benefits alongside their salary and regular remuneration.
RMAFC lists:
- Accommodation
- Furniture
- Medical care
- Official vehicles
- Vehicle maintenance
- Vehicle fuelling
- Domestic staff
- Personal assistants
- Special assistants
- Utilities
- Security
- Entertainment
- Duty Tour Allowance
- Estacode
- Newspapers and periodicals
RMAFC does not give a fixed naira amount for several of these provisions in its remuneration table. The commission instead lists some items as TBP or provides them as official benefits.
Therefore, these benefits should not form part of a fixed monthly salary figure unless an authoritative source gives a specific amount.
Governor’s Security Vote in Nigeria
A governor’s security vote does not form part of the basic salary listed by RMAFC.
RMAFC lists security among the benefits attached to the office but does not provide one fixed national monthly security-vote amount for every governor.
Consequently, claims that every Nigerian governor receives a fixed amount as personal salary from a security vote do not match the RMAFC remuneration table.
Security votes also represent government expenditure rather than a governor’s basic monthly pay.
Governor’s Severance Gratuity and Benefits After Office
A Nigerian governor receives a ₦6,671,115 severance gratuity after completing the required tenure under the RMAFC remuneration package.
The amount represents 300% of the governor’s annual basic salary of ₦2,223,705.
The severance gratuity differs from the governor’s monthly salary because it applies at the end of tenure.
Former governors can also receive pension benefits under state laws. These pension arrangements vary between states and therefore do not form part of one nationwide governor pension figure.
A state pension law therefore remains separate from the RMAFC severance gratuity.
Do All Governors in Nigeria Earn the Same Salary?
The RMAFC remuneration table gives state governors the same basic salary.
Each governor receives a basic annual salary of ₦2,223,705, equivalent to ₦185,308.75 per month.
The same RMAFC table gives a regular annual remuneration package of ₦7,782,967.50, equivalent to ₦648,580.62 per month.
However, state laws and government arrangements can affect benefits for governors and former governors.
Those additional state-specific benefits do not change the basic salary listed by RMAFC.
Who Determines the Salary of Governors in Nigeria?
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) determines the remuneration of governors and deputy governors.
The 1999 Constitution gives RMAFC the responsibility to determine appropriate remuneration for several political office holders, including the President, Vice-President, governors, deputy governors, ministers, commissioners, special advisers and legislators.
RMAFC’s remuneration framework operates under the Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) (Amendments) Act, 2008.
RMAFC Review of Governors’ Salaries in 2026
RMAFC started a review of the remuneration of political, public and judicial office holders in 2025.
In August 2025, the commission held a strategic retreat to harmonise reports from its remuneration review.
In February 2026, RMAFC said a new remuneration package for political office holders was ready for the next stage of consideration.
And in July 2026, RMAFC forwarded its reviewed remuneration recommendations for political and public office holders to President Bola Tinubu.
The review does not change the figures used in this article until a new remuneration package takes legal effect.
Therefore, the current RMAFC remuneration remains the basis for the ₦185,308.75 monthly basic salary and ₦648,580.62 regular monthly remuneration figures used above.
