A new analysis has reignited debates over the imbalance in Nigeria’s wage structure, revealing that the combined monthly salaries and office running costs of the country’s 109 senators amount to N2.354 billion—enough to pay the monthly wages of 4,708 university professors nationwide.
According to findings by Daily Trust each senator receives about N21.6 million monthly, while a university professor earns an average of N500,000, depending on years of service.
The report has drawn renewed criticism from academics and education advocates, who argue that the disparity reflects the government’s misplaced priorities and undermines the academic workforce responsible for training Nigeria’s future leaders.
“The fact that a single senator takes home what would pay over 40 professors is a tragic commentary on how we value education,” one university lecturer lamented.
Calls for a review of political office holders’ remuneration packages have intensified in recent years, especially against the backdrop of prolonged industrial actions by university unions over poor funding and welfare conditions.
While the National Assembly has consistently defended lawmakers’ pay as “justifiable” given their workload and national responsibilities, analysts insist the contrast with the salaries of academics highlights a structural imbalance that threatens the country’s long-term development.
