This Is What a Nigerian Governor Earns AFTER Office
“Tighten your belt.” That’s what they told us.
Fuel subsidy gone.
Electricity tariffs up.
School fees doubled.
Meanwhile…
Ex-governors?
They’re still cashing out—every single month.
Mansions. SUVs. Millions.
What Happens After 4 Years in Power?
Didn’t finish strong?
Left your state in debt?
Still entitled to:
- A mansion in your state—and another in Abuja
- Six new vehicles every 3 years
- Full security detail, cooks, drivers, aides
- 300% furniture allowance
- A monthly salary equal to the sitting governor’s
All on the state’s account.
Wait—How Many of Them Are We Feeding?
Over 120 ex-governors and deputies are enjoying these pensions.
Some states—like Akwa Ibom and Rivers—offer up to ₦200 MILLION per year.
Lagos gave 2 mansions, 6 cars, and full family medical cover—for life.
Total estimated cost? Over ₦130 billion every year. And that’s just what we know.
And It Doesn’t Stop There.
Ever heard of “double-dipping”?
You’re a retired governor—collecting pension… …Then you become a Senator or Minister or president (cough, cough)—and collect another fat paycheck.
Over 20 ex-governors in the Senate are collecting both state pensions and federal salaries .
Meanwhile, those who kept the system running, governor after governor — 35 years in civil service, still wait for gratuity.
Civil Servants Wait. Politicians Don’t.
Most state-level retirees receive between ₦4,000 and ₦30,000 monthly—when it even comes.
Some wait years.
Others never get paid at all.
But political pensions? Guaranteed.
In 2019, ex-Governor Abdul-Aziz Yari wrote to his successor in Zamfara, demanding the prompt payment of his ₦10 million monthly “upkeep” allowance.
This, in a country where nurses, teachers, and lifelong civil servants are still owed.
Globally, This Isn’t Normal.
Ghana: ex-leaders get capped pensions—and nothing if they serve again.
Rwanda: lifetime pay only after two terms—and even that is modest.
U.S.: ex-Presidents get security & a stipend—but NOT Senators, Governors, or Ministers.
Only in Nigeria does a 4-year term guarantee you a billionaire lifestyle for life.
So… Why Does Nigeria Feel Broke?
It’s not just oil theft.
Or budget padding.
It’s the structure.
A system where political office guarantees personal comfort—no matter the public outcome.
Where politicians write their own paychecks. Where government is not public service—it’s a retirement plan.
Here’s the Catch.
To end these pensions, State Assemblies must repeal the laws.
But many of those lawmakers were installed by the same former governors.
At the federal level, ex-governors are the lawmakers.
That’s the loop.
And that’s the challenge.
Be Involved
This isn’t about revenge.
It’s about structure.
It’s about what a country chooses to reward—and what it quietly tolerates.
If Nigeria must move forward, this is one place to start.
Be Involved.
