- States spent N512.10bn on governors’ offices and travel in six months
- The spending was over 4,700 times the governors’ combined salaries
- The figures have renewed concerns over the cost of governance in Nigeria
At least 33 state governments spent a combined N512.10bn on Government Houses, Governors’ Offices and travel-related expenses during the first six months of 2026, according to an analysis of state budget implementation reports.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the amount is about 4,713 times the combined basic salaries of Nigeria’s 36 governors over the same period.
A governor’s official monthly salary is N503,000, meaning each governor would earn N3.018m in six months. For all 36 governors, the combined salary would amount to approximately N108.65m.
In contrast, the analysis identified N420.01bn spent under Government House, Governor’s Office and related executive administration budget heads, while another N92.09bn was recorded under travel and transport.
Together, the two expenditure categories amounted to N512.10bn.
The figures highlight the difference between the official salaries of governors and the broader cost of maintaining the offices and administrative structures attached to their positions.
The expenditure does not represent the personal income of governors. Government House and Governor’s Office allocations generally cover administrative operations, personnel, protocol, maintenance, utilities, official residences, security-related activities and government functions.
Travel and transport allocations also cover official trips and transportation-related expenses involving the wider state government structure.
The analysis was based on first- and second-quarter 2026 budget implementation reports. It used the largest identifiable expenditure under Government House, Governor’s Office or related executive administration, alongside the general travel and transport budget head for each state.
Complete comparable records were available for 28 states, including Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
Comparable information was not available for Edo, Osun and Rivers states.
For the same states and expenditure categories, the records showed N465.07bn spent on Government House, Governor’s Office and related executive administration during the first half of 2025. Travel and transport accounted for another N92.73bn, bringing the combined expenditure to N557.80bn.
This means spending in the comparable categories fell by about N45.70bn, or 8.19 per cent, in the first half of 2026 compared with the corresponding period of 2025.
Government House and Governor’s Office spending accounted for most of the reduction, falling from N465.07bn in 2025 to N420.01bn in 2026, a decrease of N45.05bn or 9.69 per cent.
Travel and transport expenditure, however, remained relatively stable, declining marginally from N92.73bn in the first half of 2025 to N92.09bn in 2026.
That represents a reduction of approximately N643.66m, or 0.69 per cent.
The spending pattern varied considerably among the states.
Kogi recorded the highest identifiable Government House and Governor’s Office expenditure at N65.34bn, followed by Ogun with N45.26bn and Lagos with N45.04bn.
Kano recorded N25.87bn, while Ekiti and Cross River spent N25.22bn and N23.92bn respectively. Bayelsa recorded N22.99bn, while Imo and Enugu recorded N19.43bn and N16.20bn.
At the lower end, Oyo recorded approximately N1.95bn, followed by Sokoto with N2.20bn, Kwara with N2.59bn and Abia with N2.78bn.
Kogi’s expenditure alone accounted for more than 15 per cent of the identifiable Government House and Governor’s Office spending captured in the dataset.
For travel and transport, Plateau recorded the highest identifiable expenditure at N10.11bn during the period.
Lagos followed with N8.23bn, while Taraba spent N5.16bn. Niger recorded N4.45bn, Ekiti N4.41bn, Bauchi N3.75bn and Yobe N3.68bn.
Oyo recorded approximately N667.52m, while Kano had N626.95m under the identifiable travel and transport expenditure.
Some states recorded substantial increases compared with the previous year.
Kogi’s Government House and Governor’s Office spending rose from N51.99bn in the first half of 2025 to N65.34bn in 2026, representing an increase of N13.34bn, or 25.66 per cent.
Bayelsa’s expenditure increased from N14.48bn to N22.99bn, while Cross River recorded a sharp rise from N9.91bn to N23.92bn.
Lagos also recorded a significant increase, with spending rising from N25.86bn in the first half of 2025 to N45.04bn in 2026, an increase of N19.18bn or 74.16 per cent.
Other states recorded declines. Ogun’s expenditure dropped from N49.83bn to N45.26bn, while Kano’s fell from N28.84bn to N25.87bn.
Development economist Aliyu Ilias said the figures demonstrated why assessments of governors’ earnings should not be limited to their official salaries.
He argued that the wider expenses and privileges attached to executive offices significantly increase the cost of governance.
According to Ilias, executive offices in Nigeria remain expensive to maintain partly because political office holders wield considerable influence over the structure and financing of institutions under their control.
He also criticised state assemblies for what he described as insufficient scrutiny of executive spending, arguing that the situation contributes to the high cost of governance.
Meanwhile, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission is responsible for determining the remuneration of governors and other political office holders.
The existing remuneration framework remains in effect, although the commission has said its review of the salaries and allowances of political office holders is at an advanced stage, with proposed legislation expected to be presented to the National Assembly.
The spending comes amid increased revenue available to state governments following recent Federal Government economic reforms.
Data from the Ministry of Finance previously showed that N47.25tn was distributed through the Federation Account between 2023 and 2025, representing more than half of the N93.13tn shared between 2017 and 2025.
The increase in allocations has consequently intensified public debate over whether states are translating higher revenues into improved infrastructure and public services.
The latest figures suggest that the cost of running a governor’s office extends far beyond the official salary attached to the position.
While a governor’s basic pay may appear relatively modest, taxpayers also fund the extensive administrative, operational, security, maintenance and travel structures surrounding the office.
The broader issue, therefore, is not simply how much governors receive as salaries, but the overall cost of maintaining the executive institutions and privileges attached to their positions.
