State governments spent an estimated N512.10bn on expenses linked to Government Houses, Governors’ Offices and official transportation during the first six months of 2026, far exceeding what governors themselves received as salaries.
The figure, drawn from available state budget implementation reports, is roughly 4,713 times the combined basic pay of Nigeria’s 36 governors for the same period.
Each governor officially earns N503,000 monthly. Over six months, that comes to N3.018m per governor, or N108.65m when the salaries of all 36 governors are put together.
The amount spent around the governors’ offices was substantially higher. About N420.01bn was recorded for Government House, Governor’s Office and related executive administration, while N92.09bn went into travel and transportation.
Combined, those expenses reached N512.10bn.
In other words, the salaries of all 36 governors during the period represented just about 0.02 per cent of the expenditure identified under those categories.
The comparison comes against the backdrop of recent arguments over whether Nigerian governors are adequately paid.
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori recently said he receives N503,000 monthly. He also pointed out that some senior civil servants, including permanent secretaries, earn more than that.
However, focusing only on a governor’s monthly salary does not capture the full financial burden associated with running the office.
Money listed under Government House and Governor’s Office is generally used for a wide range of government activities. It can cover workers, official residences, maintenance, electricity and other utilities, protocol, security-related operations, official events and day-to-day administration.
The travel and transport category also extends beyond the governor personally. It includes official journeys, transportation and related costs incurred by various parts of the state public service.
Development economist Aliyu Ilias said the cost attached to political offices should be assessed beyond the basic salary figures.
He maintained that looking at a governor’s salary in isolation creates the impression that the office is inexpensive, when the wider privileges and government expenses connected to it can be considerably larger.
Ilias also criticised the high cost of running executive offices, linking it partly to the influence political leaders have over the institutions and budgets under their control.
He said the situation contributes to the perception that political offices are highly lucrative, particularly when the additional expenses and benefits surrounding the positions are taken into consideration.
Kogi Leads Spending
Among the states with usable records, Kogi recorded the biggest expenditure under Government House and Governor’s Office, reaching N65.34bn during the six-month period.
Ogun came next with N45.26bn, followed closely by Lagos at N45.04bn.
Kano recorded N25.87bn, Ekiti N25.22bn and Cross River N23.92bn. Bayelsa spent N22.99bn, while Imo and Enugu recorded N19.43bn and N16.20bn respectively.
At the other end of the scale, Oyo recorded N1.95bn, Sokoto N2.20bn, Kwara N2.59bn and Abia N2.78bn.
Kogi’s expenditure alone made up more than 15 per cent of the Government House and Governor’s Office spending identified across the dataset.
Plateau recorded the largest amount under travel and transport, with N10.11bn spent during the first half of 2026.
Lagos followed at N8.23bn, while Taraba recorded N5.16bn. Niger spent N4.45bn, Ekiti N4.41bn, Bauchi N3.75bn and Yobe N3.68bn.
Oyo recorded N667.52m under the same category, while Kano had N626.95m.
Spending Compared With 2025
The figures were lower than those recorded during the corresponding period of 2025.
Available records showed that states spent N465.07bn on Government House, Governor’s Office and related executive administration in the first six months of 2025. Travel and transport accounted for another N92.73bn.
That brought the total to N557.80bn.
Compared with the N512.10bn recorded in the first half of 2026, spending dropped by N45.70bn, equivalent to an 8.19 per cent reduction.
The biggest change came from Government House and Governor’s Office expenses, which declined by N45.05bn, from N465.07bn to N420.01bn.
Travel-related expenditure barely moved, falling by only N643.66m from N92.73bn to N92.09bn.
Some States Recorded Sharp Increases
The spending pattern was not the same across all states.
Kogi’s figure rose from N51.99bn in the first half of 2025 to N65.34bn in 2026, an increase of about N13.34bn.
Bayelsa also recorded a significant jump, moving from N14.48bn to N22.99bn.
Cross River experienced an even larger increase, with its figure rising from N9.91bn to N23.92bn.
Lagos moved from N25.86bn in 2025 to N45.04bn in 2026, representing an increase of N19.18bn.
Some states went in the opposite direction. Ogun’s spending fell from N49.83bn to N45.26bn, while Kano dropped from N28.84bn to N25.87bn.
Niger increased from N13.13bn to N14.15bn.
The 2026 analysis covered 30 states with sufficient comparable information, 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 figures were not available for Edo, Osun and Rivers.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission remains responsible for setting the remuneration of governors and other political office holders.
RMAFC has also been working on a broader review of political office holders’ pay, with proposed changes expected to go through the National Assembly.
The spending figures come as states continue to receive larger allocations from the Federation Account following economic changes introduced by the Federal Government.
Finance Ministry figures previously showed that N47.25tn was distributed through the Federation Account between 2023 and 2025 alone.
With states now receiving more revenue, attention has increasingly shifted towards how the additional funds are being used and whether citizens are seeing corresponding improvements in roads, healthcare, education, infrastructure and other public services.
The figures therefore show that the financial cost of having a governor extends far beyond the N503,000 monthly salary attached to the office.
The real burden on public finances includes the extensive administrative structures, official operations, government facilities, transportation and other expenses required to keep the executive arm of each state running.
