FG Sets Aside N2.3bn in 2026 Budget for Benefits of Former Presidents, Vices’
The Federal Government has earmarked N2.3 billion in the 2026 budget for the payment of pensions, allowances, and other statutory entitlements to Nigeria’s former presidents, heads of state, and their vices’.
The allocation, captured under recurrent expenditure in the proposed 2026 Appropriation Bill, is meant to cover benefits due to past holders of the nation’s highest political offices in line with existing Nigerian laws and regulations.
According to budget details, the funds will be used to settle lifetime pensions, residential and medical allowances, as well as other privileges legally accorded to former top political officeholders and their deputies.
The provision is anchored on the Remuneration of Former Presidents and Heads of State (and Other Ancillary Matters) Act, which guarantees specific benefits to past leaders and their spouses.
The inclusion of the N2.3 billion allocation has, however, reignited public debate on the cost of governance, particularly at a time when the government is pursuing fiscal reforms and grappling with competing demands for funding in critical sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure.
Despite the controversy, government officials maintain that the payments are statutory obligations that must be met, stressing that the beneficiaries are entitled to the funds under the law.
