Thirty-three state governments spent at least N512.10 billion on Government Houses, Governors’ Offices, travel and transport in the first six months of 2026, according to an analysis of state budget implementation reports.
The amount is about 4,713 times higher than the combined six-month salaries of Nigeria’s 36 governors.
The analysis showed that a governor’s stated monthly salary of N503,000 amounts to N3.018 million over six months. For all 36 governors, their combined salary for the same period would amount to approximately N108.65 million.
In contrast, available state expenditure records showed that N420.01 billion was spent under Government House, Governor’s Office and related executive administration heads, while another N92.09 billion went to travel and transport.
Together, the expenditure amounted to N512.10 billion.
The combined six-month salaries of the governors therefore represented only about 0.02 per cent of the identified expenditure on executive offices and travel.
The figures come amid renewed debate over the salaries and remuneration of Nigerian governors following comments by Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, who recently said he earns N503,000 monthly.
Oborevwori had argued that some senior civil servants, including permanent secretaries, earn about N900,000 monthly, higher than the basic salary of a state governor.
However, the expenditure analysis shows that the basic salary of a governor represents only a small portion of the wider public expenditure associated with maintaining the office.
The Government House and Governor’s Office expenditure does not represent the personal income of governors. The budget heads cover a broad range of official expenses, including administrative operations, personnel, protocol, maintenance, official residences, utilities, security-related activities, state functions and other costs required to operate the executive arm of government.
Similarly, travel and transport expenditure covers official local and international trips, transportation and related expenses across the wider state public service.
The figures therefore provide an indication of the broader fiscal cost of maintaining the structures surrounding the offices of state governors rather than the amount personally received by the governors.
The analysis was based on available first- and second-quarter 2026 Budget Implementation Reports. It used the largest identifiable Government House, Governor’s Office or executive administration expenditure line in each state, alongside the general travel and transport expenditure head.
Complete comparable data were available for 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 data were unavailable for Edo, Osun and Rivers.
Compared with the first half of 2025, spending under the identified categories declined.
Available records showed that N465.07 billion was spent on Government House, Governor’s Office and similar executive administration heads in the first six months of 2025, while N92.73 billion was recorded for travel and transport.
The combined 2025 figure was N557.80 billion.
This means that the comparable 2026 expenditure of N512.10 billion was about N45.70 billion lower, representing an 8.19 per cent decline.
Government House and Governor’s Office expenditure accounted for most of the reduction, falling from N465.07 billion in the first half of 2025 to N420.01 billion in the corresponding period of 2026.
That represents a decrease of N45.05 billion, or 9.69 per cent.
Travel and transport expenditure, however, remained relatively stable. Spending declined marginally from N92.73 billion in the first half of 2025 to N92.09 billion in 2026, representing a reduction of about N643.66 million, or 0.69 per cent.
The figures suggest that while spending on executive administration moderated across the available records, expenditure on official travel remained broadly unchanged.
Development economist Aliyu Ilias said the figures showed why focusing only on the basic salary of governors could give a misleading picture of the overall cost associated with political office.
He argued that executive offices in Nigeria had become increasingly expensive to maintain, partly because political office holders exercise significant influence over how institutions under their control are structured and funded.
Ilias said the wider benefits, travel arrangements and other expenses attached to the office should be considered when assessing the actual cost of maintaining a governor.
He also criticised the strength of state legislative oversight, arguing that weak scrutiny could contribute to excessive public expenditure.
According to the state-by-state analysis, Kogi recorded the highest identifiable Government House and Governor’s Office expenditure in the first half of 2026, at N65.34 billion.
Ogun followed with N45.26 billion, while Lagos recorded N45.04 billion.
Kano spent N25.87 billion, Ekiti N25.22 billion and Cross River N23.92 billion.
Bayelsa recorded N22.99 billion, Imo N19.43 billion and Enugu N16.20 billion.
At the lower end, Oyo recorded about N1.95 billion, followed by Sokoto with N2.20 billion, Kwara with N2.59 billion and Abia with N2.78 billion.
Kogi’s expenditure alone represented more than 15 per cent of the identifiable Government House and Governor’s Office spending captured in the dataset.
On travel and transport, Plateau recorded the highest identifiable expenditure at N10.11 billion in the first six months of 2026.
Lagos followed with N8.23 billion, while Taraba recorded N5.16 billion.
Niger spent N4.45 billion, Ekiti N4.41 billion, Bauchi N3.75 billion and Yobe N3.68 billion.
Oyo recorded one of the lowest identifiable travel and transport expenditures at N667.52 million, while Kano recorded N626.95 million.
There were also significant differences in spending patterns between states and between 2025 and 2026.
Kogi’s Government House and Governor’s Office expenditure increased from N51.99 billion in the first half of 2025 to N65.34 billion in 2026, representing an increase of about N13.34 billion, or 25.66 per cent.
Bayelsa’s expenditure rose from N14.48 billion to N22.99 billion, an increase of N8.51 billion, or 58.75 per cent.
Cross River recorded an increase from N9.91 billion to N23.92 billion, representing a rise of about N14.01 billion, or 141.37 per cent.
Lagos also recorded a significant increase, with identifiable expenditure rising from N25.86 billion in 2025 to N45.04 billion in 2026, an increase of approximately N19.18 billion, or 74.16 per cent.
Other states recorded reductions.
Ogun’s expenditure declined from N49.83 billion in the first half of 2025 to N45.26 billion in 2026, representing a reduction of N4.57 billion, or 9.17 per cent.
Kano’s expenditure fell from N28.84 billion to N25.87 billion, a decrease of approximately N2.98 billion, or 10.32 per cent.
The analysis also noted variations in the available figures for Niger, with identifiable spending increasing from N13.13 billion to N14.15 billion.
The expenditure figures come at a time when state governments have received increased allocations from the Federation Account following the Federal Government’s economic reforms.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission is constitutionally responsible for determining the remuneration of governors and other political office holders. The existing remuneration framework remains in force while a broader review is being processed.
RMAFC has also said its review of remuneration for executive and legislative office holders had reached an advanced stage, with proposed legislation expected to be considered by the National Assembly.
The increase in revenues available to state governments has intensified public scrutiny over how additional resources are being spent and whether higher allocations are translating into improved infrastructure and public services.
The latest expenditure figures highlight a significant distinction between a governor’s official salary and the broader cost of maintaining the office.
While the basic salary of a governor may appear relatively modest compared with the salaries of some senior civil servants, the public funds required to operate Government Houses, Governors’ Offices and official travel run into hundreds of billions of naira.
The broader fiscal question, therefore, extends beyond how much governors earn personally to how much taxpayers spend to maintain the offices, privileges and administrative structures surrounding Nigeria’s state executives.
