Oyo is spending more on renovating the Government House than on the entire health sector.
The Oyo State Executive Council has approved ₦63.4 billion for the overhaul of the Government House, surpassing allocations to critical sectors like health and education. Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, said the upgrade was necessary as the “government house was in an embarrassing state and was an unbefitting facility.”
A breakdown of the 2025 budget shows the Ministry of Health received ₦59.4 billion, while ₦822 million was allocated to rehabilitate 20 health centres. At ₦2 million per unit, the same renovation sum could fund 31,700 toilet facilities, or 12,680 boreholes if estimated at ₦5 million each.
The government also allocated ₦3.5 billion to classroom construction through SUBEB—over 18 times less than the Government House renovation cost.
With a projected IGR of ₦143.1 billion, the renovation will consume about 44.3%, and together with ₦37.8 billion in debt servicing, approximately 70.7% of IGR is committed.