Who are the richest politicians in Nigeria?
Politics in Nigeria is seen as a business already. Hence, you do not need to be a patriotic citizen before you can become a politician.
In fact, it is known that Nigerian senators earn the most salaries compared to other countries. which is why politics remains one of the most lucrative high-class businesses here in Nigeria.
Even when we talk of the richest people today in Nigeria, the result is mainly occupied by either a politician or a senator. However, it is believed that these politicians embezzle money and practice bad governance. But who is to be blamed for this?
Notwithstanding, in this article today, I will elucidate on the correct list of richest politicians in Nigeria and possibly their net worth.
Here are the top 10 richest politicians in Nigeria:
1. Atiku Abubakar – $1.8 Billion
Atiku is one of Nigeria’s wealthiest people. He is also one of the wealthiest legislators, if not the wealthiest. Atiku is well-known for serving as Vice President under President Olusegun Obasanjo, who held the position for two terms (1999–2007). He ran for President in the February 2019 election but was defeated by President Muhammadu Buhari, who was re-elected.
Atik Atiku Abubakar’s net wealth is estimated to be $7 billion.
Atiku Abubakar is also well-known for his economic acumen; he owns a logistics firm and holds a significant stake in the American University of Nigeria (AUN), which he launched in 2015.
2. Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu – $4 Billion
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the governor of Lagos State from May 1999 to May 2007, is Nigeria’s official richest politician. Bola Tinubu is purportedly the owner of Oando PLC, Nigeria’s largest oil-producing firm with a turnover of roughly $449 million, in addition to being the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress party.
Bola Tinubu’s landed properties in Nigeria are worth over 120 billion dollars, including a 5-billion-dollar house on Bourdillon Drive in Ikoyi, Lagos. He has a $600 million G-Wagon, two more Mercedes Benzes, a Range Rover, a Lexus LX 550, and other high-end automobiles that remain secret.
Not to mention his $60 million Bombardier Global Express XRS, which is likely not his only plane.
3. Ibrahim Babangida – $5 Billion
General Ibrahim Babangida is a former Nigerian military president and former head of state. General Ibrahim Babangida, also known as IBB, was best known for his role in the annulment of the presidential election of June 12, 1991, in which the late MKO Abiola was declared the winner.
General Ibrahim Babangida before his death is said to have an estimated net worth of roughly $5 billion.
4. Olusegun Obasanjo – $1.6 Billion
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is a former Nigerian military head of state who served from 1976 to 1979 as the military head of state before becoming the civilian president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, where he served for a whole eight-year term with Atiku Abubakar.
Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo is one of the most popular names we have on the list.
Obasanjo is the owner of Nigeria’s largest chicken farm, the Obasanjo farms, which are also the largest in West Africa.
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is considered one of the richest politicians in Nigeria today. As of 2021, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has an estimated net worth of roughly $1.6 billion.
5. Rochas Okorocha – $1.5 Billion
Rochas Okorocha is said to be one of the richest politicians in Nigeria.
He is one of the most prominent Nigerian politicians from the eastern region of Nigeria.
Rochas is the former governor of Imo State, Nigeria. During his tenure, he carried out a few notable projects which boosted his overall political career.
Even before he joined politics, Rochas Okorocha was a wealthy businessman in Nigeria.
Aside from being a politician and a businessman, he is also a philanthropist.
Rochas Okorocha is the founder of the Rochas Foundation. This is an organization that focuses on the less privileged people in society.
Through the years, Rochas is currently ranked as not just one of the richest, but also one of the best politicians in the country.
6. Orji Uzor Kalu – $1.1 Billion
Orji Uzor Kalu, Orji Uzor Kalu, Orji Uzor Kal was the former executive governor of Nigeria’s Abia State.
He is now regarded as one of the country’s wealthiest and most powerful politicians.
He is the chairman of both the Sun Daily and the New Telegraph newspapers.
Orji, in addition to being a politician, is a successful businessman with stakes in a number of African countries.
Currently, Orji Uzor Kalu is estimated to be worth $1.1 Billion dollars. This makes him the 6th richest politician in Nigeria.
7. Orji Uzor Kalu – $1 Billion
Orji Uzor Kalu is a Nigerian politician and businessperson. He is the chairman of SLOK Holding and the Daily Sun and New Telegraph newspapers in Nigeria. He served as the Governor of Abia State, Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.
Prior to his election, he served as the chairman of the Borno Water Board and the chairman of the Cooperative and Commerce Bank Limited. Kalu was also a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) and the chairman of the PPA Board of Trustees. He was the party’s presidential candidate in the April 2007 general election.
He is currently a member of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) after he officially announced his resignation as the PPA BOT chair.
Orji Uzor Kalu contested in the 2019 Nigerian general election to represent the people of Abia North in the senate, running under the banner of All Progressives Congress. He is among the top 10 richest politicians in Nigeria.
8. Bukola Saraki – $1 Billion
Olubukola Abubakar Saraki, is a Nigerian politician. He was the 13th President of the Senate of Nigeria from 2015 to 2019 and Chair of the 8th Nigeria National Assembly. He was previously the Governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011; and was elected to the Senate in 2011, under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing the Kwara Central Senatorial District, and then re-elected in the 2015 general elections under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Saraki declared his presidential campaign for the PDP presidential ticket in the 2019 election but lost the primaries to Atiku Abubakar.
Bukola Saraki net worth is $1 Billion and is among the top 10 richest politicians in Nigeria
9. Dino Melaye – $800 Million
Dino Melaye is a Nigerian politician, a former Senator, and was a member of the 8th Nigerian National Assembly, representing the Kogi West Senatorial district. He is from Ayetoro Gbede in the Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Dino Melaye is a former senator and member of (Nigeria) and also a member of the People’s Democratic Party. In 2015 he defected to All Progressives Congress (APC) but returned to PDP in the buildup to the 2019 elections after months of political struggle with the Kogi State governor. He was the Chairman Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. And briefly the Senate Committee Chairman on Aviation in Nigeria.
Dino Melaye was born in Kano State, Nigeria. He attended command and Air-force Secondary School, Kaduna for his secondary school education. He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he studied geography in 2000.
10. Rotimi Amaechi – $757 Million
Rotimi Amaechi was the former governor of Rivers State and the incumbent minister of transportation in the Buhari’s administration. Amaechi is 53 years old and married to Judith Amaechi with children. He graduated from University of Port Harcourt with a BA in English Language.
Rotimi Amaechi was a former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007. Amaechi is also a member of the APC. He is Catholic by faith and a Commander of the Order of the Niger(CON).
During his tenure as Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi’s net worth was estimated to be $757 million.