Based on data collated from a document on the website of Nigeria’s Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission, the housing allowances for the newly appointed ministers may cost the country about N343.25million annually.
This combined allowance for the 45 ministers-designate’s accommodation will cost the the Federal Government N1.37billion.
This covers allowances for accommodation (200 per cent of basic salary), domestic staff (75 per cent of basic salary), utilities (30 per cent of basic salary), and furniture (300 per cent of basic salary).
News Central gathered that each minister is entitled to an accommodation allowance of N4.05million, domestic staff allowance of N1.52million, and utilities allowance of N0.61 million, alongside furniture allowance of N6.08million, which is paid once in four years.
Each minister of state is entitled to an accommodation allowance of N3.92million, domestic staff allowance of N1.47million, and utilities allowance of N0.59million, alongside furniture allowance of N5.87million, which is paid once in four years.
President Bola Tinubu, recently unveiled the portfolios of his ministers after Senate clearance. It withheld the confirmation of three nominees due to security checks.
It was noted that the names of a former Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai; a former National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Stella Okotete, and a ministerial nominee from Taraba State, Danladi Abubakar were missing.
It was observed that 13 of the nominees were appointed Ministers of State while some new ministries were also created.
The ministers and their designations are as follows Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy: Bosun Tijani; Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management: Ishak Salako; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy: Wale Edun; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy: Bunmi Tunji-Ojo; Minister of Power: Adebayo Adelabu; Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare: Tunji Alausa; Minister of Solid Minerals Development: Dele Alake; Minister of Tourism: Lola Ade-John; Minister of Transportation: Adegboyega Oyetola.
Others are Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite; Minister of Innovation Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji; Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy; Minister of Works, David Umahi; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Minister of Youth, Abubakar Momoh; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu; Minister of State, Gas Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo; Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri; Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh and Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Listed as Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy is Hannatu Musawa; Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru; Minister of State Defence, Bello Matawalle; Minister of State, Education, Tanko Sununu; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa.
The President’s nominees topped the 42 appointed by his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, in 2019 by five more persons.
With this, Tinubu set the record for the highest number of ministerial nominees in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic (1999 to date) with 48, which analysts say would likely worsen the high governance costs.
Tinubu first nominated 28 persons to be cleared by the Senate as ministers. The President also sent another list of 19 nominees, bringing the number of potential cabinet members to a total of 47.
However, Tinubu withdrew the nomination of Maryam Shetty as a ministerial nominee from Kano State and replaced her with Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, also from Kano State.
He also added the name of Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Delta State, as a nominee for screening.
Despite calls to reduce the cost of governance, Tinubu has now surpassed Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari to nominate 48 would-be ministers, setting a new record since the country returned to democracy 24 years ago.