Amid Nigeria’s economic strain, state governments are under fire for spending nearly N200 billion on office renovations
Amid Nigeria’s economic strain, state governments are under fire for spending nearly N200 billion on office renovations while health and education languish. According to The Guardian, Oyo, Gombe, and Bauchi alone spent N122.7 billion within three years. Oyo’s recent N63.5 billion government house reconstruction drew widespread criticism.
“This is a gross misplacement of priority,” the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) said, urging Gov. Seyi Makinde to redirect funds to public welfare. The APC also slammed the decision as “wasteful spending.”
Other states—like Gombe, Bauchi, Zamfara, and Cross River—faced similar backlash over extravagant expenditures amid high debt and poor service delivery. Critics like Abubakar Sadique and Dr Adebukola Ayoola labelled the trend “fiscal irresponsibility.”
Meanwhile, only 21.7% of N27.87 trillion in total state budgets is allocated to health and education, despite their vital role in economic recovery. Analysts warn such elite-focused spending worsens infrastructure gaps and neglects citizens’ needs.