The Independent Newspaper, Friday, November 16, 1979
In a landmark decision marking the formal establishment of Nigeria’s Second Republic, the National Assembly on Thursday approved the annual salaries for key public officeholders following the return to civilian rule under President Shehu Shagari.
The approved salary structure reflected the government’s priorities and economic realities at the dawn of Nigeria’s renewed democracy. According to official reports:
- President Shehu Shagari was set to earn ₦50,000 annually, making him the highest-paid public official in the country.
- Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme’s salary was fixed at ₦30,000 per year.
- The President of the Senate received ₦22,000 annually.
- The Speaker of the House of Representatives was allocated ₦20,000 per annum.
- Ministers, Special Advisers, and the Head of the Civil Service were each to earn ₦16,000 annually.
These figures were the result of careful deliberations balancing budgetary discipline with the need to attract competent leadership for efficient governance. The transparent disclosure of these salaries was seen as a step toward restoring public confidence in democratic institutions after years of military rule.
This salary framework also serves as a historical marker of Nigeria’s economic and administrative expectations during the early years of the Second Republic, which officially began on October 1, 1979, following the peaceful handover from military to civilian government.