…. Ekiti, Bayelsa, Niger Record Faster Recurrent Spending As Capital Projects Lag
….Spending Equals 4,713 Times Govs’ Combined Six-Month Basic Salaries
…33 States Spend Big On Govt Houses, Govs’ Offices, Travel
Daud Olatunji
State governments spent at least N512.10bn on Government Houses, governors’ offices and travel and transport in the first six months of 2026, raising fresh questions about spending priorities and the pace at which public funds are being converted into infrastructure and public services.
An analysis of state Budget Implementation Reports showed that N420.01bn was spent under Government House, Governor’s Office and related executive administration heads, while another N92.09bn went to travel and transport during the period.
The expenditure was recorded by 33 state governments for which the relevant records were available.
The scale of the spending becomes more striking when compared with the official basic salaries of the governors. A governor’s stated monthly salary is N503,000, translating to N3.018m over six months. The combined basic salary of all 36 governors for the same period would therefore be about N108.65m.
The N512.10bn spent on the identified expenditure heads was consequently about 4,713 times the combined six-month basic salaries of the 36 governors.
But beyond the headline figure, data from the BudgIT Foundation points to a broader issue: whether rising state revenues are translating into development at the required pace.
BudgIT’s analysis of early 2026 budget performance found that some states were implementing recurrent expenditure significantly faster than capital expenditure.
In Ekiti State, for instance, recurrent expenditure stood at 23.3 per cent of the annual budget by the end of the first quarter, compared with only 8.7 per cent for capital expenditure.
Similarly, Bayelsa recorded 17.4 per cent recurrent expenditure implementation against 11.7 per cent for capital expenditure, while Niger implemented 15.7 per cent of its recurrent budget compared with 10.1 per cent for capital spending.
BudgIT noted that capital expenditure can be slower at the beginning of the year because major projects may require procurement procedures, contractor mobilisation, technical approvals and other administrative processes before significant payments are made.
However, the pattern also raises questions about how effectively states are converting increased revenues into infrastructure and public services.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that spending pattern is unfolding against a sharp increase in state revenues.
BudgIT’s State of States analysis showed that the combined revenue of the states covered by the report increased from N8.66tn in 2023 to N17.17tn in 2024, with increased allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee accounting for 66 per cent of the growth.
Despite the revenue increase, 31 states depended on federal transfers for at least 80 per cent of their recurrent revenue, underscoring the continuing dependence of many states on federal allocations.
The figures suggest that the central question for state governments is no longer simply whether more money is available, but how effectively the additional resources are being deployed.
Meanwhile, PLATFORM TIMES obtained the 2026 Half-Year Budget Implementation Reports from BudgIT’s X handle on Wednesday, as part of its review of state spending and fiscal transparency.
The reports examined the availability of Budget Implementation Reports across Nigeria’s 36 states during the first half of 2026 and compared the disclosure with the previous year.
According to BudgIT’s assessment, 34 of the 36 states, representing 94.4 per cent, had published their Q2 2026 Budget Implementation Reports.
Osun and Rivers states had no available Q2 2026 reports, according to the assessment.
The disclosure rate represents a decline from the 35 states, or 97.2 per cent, that had published their Q2 reports in 2025.
The findings also showed significant differences across the six geopolitical zones.
The North-Central, North-East, North-West and South-East recorded 100 per cent availability of the reports.
By contrast, the South-South and South-West recorded 83.3 per cent availability.
BudgIT’s assessment, however, suggests that publication alone does not automatically amount to effective fiscal transparency.
The organisation pointed to gaps in some published reports, noting that the quality, completeness and usability of budget information are essential if citizens, journalists, civil society organisations and other stakeholders are to properly scrutinise public expenditure.
Spending priorities under scrutiny
Against this backdrop, the N512.10bn spent by 33 states on government houses, governors’ offices and travel-related expenditure in six months raises a broader accountability question: what tangible value are citizens receiving from the increased fiscal resources available to their governments?
While expenditure on government administration and official travel is not inherently improper, the scale of such spending becomes more significant when capital-budget implementation remains comparatively slow in some states.
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