EMMANUEL PETER ADAYEHI
Purpose of this writing:
This is a public policy critique addressed to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It challenges the claim that the current government inherited a “dilapidated Nigeria” by juxtaposing that narrative with documented budgetary allocations and spending patterns between May 2023 and June 2026.
Background data on national finances for context
1. Public Debt: Debt Management Office data shows Nigeria’s total public debt stood at N87.38 trillion as at June 30, 2023 when President Tinubu assumed office, and rose to N159.28 trillion by December 31, 2025. Source: DMO Q4 2025 Report.
2. Inflation: National Bureau of Statistics reports headline inflation at 15.93% YoY in May 2026, down from 26.06% in May 2025. Food inflation: 16.96% YoY in May 2026. Source: NBS CPI May 2026.
3. Electricity: NERC Q1 2026 report: Grid-connected plants delivered 4,286MW out of 13,625MW installed, a 31% plant availability factor in April 2026. Source: NERC Quarterly Report Q1 2026.
Disagreement: “Dilapidated Nigeria” vs Extravagant Spending
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has repeatedly stated that his administration inherited a dilapidated economy from former President Muhammadu Buhari. If the country was indeed dilapidated, the following allocations and expenditures approved under this government require public justification:
1. Executive & Legislative Capital Projects
– N21 billion allocated to renovate the Vice President’s official residence. Source: 2024 Appropriation Act, Federal Ministry of Works & Housing capital vote, Section, Page ; also 2025 Appropriation Act recurrent/capital schedule.
– N70 billion approved for National Assembly members to purchase SUVs at N160 million per unit for Senators and House of Representatives members. Source: 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act + 2024 Appropriation Act, National Assembly capital vote, Section, Page. Confirm via Budget Office of the Federation 2024 Budget Implementation Report.
– N4 billion to renovate Dodan Barracks, Lagos. Source: 2024 Appropriation Act, State House capital vote, Section, Page.
– N3 billion to renovate Aguda House. Source: 2024 Appropriation Act, State House capital vote, Section, Page.[insert]
2. Administrative Committees & Office Holders
– N5 billion allocated to the Presidential Tax Reforms Committee, chaired by Taiwo Oyedele, comprising fewer than 20 members. Deliverables as at June 2026 remain subject to public audit. Source: 2024 Appropriation Act, Presidency administrative vote, Section, Page ; verify via Budget Office Q1-Q4 2024/2025 releases.
– N1.5 billion for vehicles for the Office of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, despite the Office of First Lady having no constitutional recognition or budget line in the 1999 Constitution. Source: 2024 Appropriation Act, State House capital vote, Section, Page.[insert]
3. Judicial & Presidential Spending
– 300% salary increase for judges, passed by the National Assembly in 2024 and assented to as the Judicial Office Holders Salaries and Allowances Act Amendment 2024. Source: National Assembly Gazette, Act No., 2024.
– N5 billion budgeted for the Presidential fleet of cars. Source: 2024 Appropriation Act, State House capital vote, Section, Page.
– N5 billion budgeted for a Presidential yacht. Source: 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act, Nigerian Navy/State House capital vote, Section, Page. Purpose and operationalization to be confirmed in Budget Office implementation reports.
– N225 billion spent on a Presidential jet in 2024. Source: 2024 Appropriation Act/2024 Supplementary Act, State House capital vote, Section, Page ; confirm with Budget Office Q3 2024 release.
4. Social & Religious Spending
– N90 billion spent on 2024 Hajj pilgrimage subsidies. Source: 2024 Appropriation Act, Ministry of Foreign Affairs/National Hajj Commission vote, Section, Page ; verify via NAHCON 2024 financial report.
5. Legislative Remuneration
– Senators and House of Representatives members earn total monthly allowances per RMAFC 2023 Remuneration Package for Political Office Holders, plus allowances voted in annual budgets. Exact monthly figure requires RMAFC gazette + Appropriation Act schedule cross-check. Source: RMAFC Gazette 2023; 2024/2025 Appropriation Acts, National Assembly recurrent vote.
– International and Domestic Travel: Multiple presidential and vice-presidential trips undertaken 2023-2026 with budgets running into billions, per Budget Office of the Federation Budget Implementation Reports 2023-2025 and annual Appropriation Acts, Presidency travel vote.
6. Infrastructure & Appointments
– N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway awarded to Hitech Construction, linked to Gilbert Chagoury. Project has faced public scrutiny over cost-per-km, procurement process, and delivery timelines. Source: Federal Ministry of Works award letter; BOQ and Engineering Design Report from FERMA/UMHI should be cited; confirm funding schedule in 2024 Appropriation Act and Budget Office 2024-2025 reports.
– Largest cabinet in Nigeria’s history: 48 ministers appointed in August 2023, increasing recurrent costs. Source: Presidency press release Aug 2023; 2024 Appropriation Act, Ministry of Budget & National Planning personnel/recurrent vote.
Debt Linkage Paragraph
The N71.9 trillion increase in public debt from N87.38 trillion in June 2023 to N159.28 trillion in December 2025 represents a 82.3% rise over 30 months. The administrative and non-infrastructure items listed above total over N400 billion within 3 years. Based on the 2024 federal budget of N28.7 trillion and 2025 budget of N54.99 trillion, these N400 billion+ items represent approximately 0.5% of total budgeted expenditure across 2024-2025. While 0.5% alone did not create the debt spike, the pattern contradicts an austerity narrative. The debt increase was driven primarily by deficit financing, fuel subsidy removal adjustments, FX unification costs, and new borrowing for infrastructure. However, fiscal prudence in a “dilapidated” economy would require zero-based justification for every N-billion in non-productive recurrent spend, because N400 billion could fund 100% of the 2026 capital budget for primary healthcare per MTEF projections. Citizens are entitled to see the marginal impact: if debt rose N71.9T while N400B+ went to admin votes, what measurable improvement in power, security, or poverty did those specific votes deliver?
Conclusion
If Nigeria was truly dilapidated in May 2023, fiscal prudence would dictate austerity in non-essential spending. The allocations above, totaling over N400 billion in non-infrastructure, non-security recurrent/administrative items within 3 years, contradict the “inherited poverty” narrative. Citizens deserve a published cost-benefit analysis for each item, tied to measurable improvements in power, security, and poverty reduction.
Request to Government
Publish a line-item audit of items 1-6 above with outcomes achieved as at Q2 2026, per the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 Section 25 and 30.
For readers/citizens
Verify all figures via Budget Office of the Federation http://budgetoffice.gov.ng, DMO http://dmo.gov.ng, NBS http://nigerianstat.gov.ng, and NERC http://nerc.gov.ng releases before sharing. Demand BOQ and audit reports on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway from Federal Ministry of Works.
Citations & References
1. Debt Management Office, “Nigeria’s Total Public Debt Stock Q4 2025”, http://dmo.gov.ng
2. National Bureau of Statistics, “CPI and Inflation Report May 2026”, http://nigerianstat.gov.ng
3. Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, “Q1 2026 Quarterly Report”, http://nerc.gov.ng
4. Federal Republic of Nigeria, “Appropriation Act 2023 Supplementary”, “Appropriation Act 2024”, “Appropriation Act 2025”, http://budgetoffice.gov.ng
5. Budget Office of the Federation, “Budget Implementation Reports Q1-Q4 2023, 2024, Q1 2025”, http://budgetoffice.gov.ng
6. Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, “Remuneration Package for Political Office Holders 2023 Gazette”, http://rmafc.gov.ng
7. National Assembly, “Judicial Office Holders Salaries and Allowances Act Amendment 2024 Gazette”
8. Federal Ministry of Works, “Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway BOQ and Engineering Report”
9. National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, “2024 Hajj Financial Report”, http://nahcon.gov.ng
10. Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, Sections 25, 30
sections once you pull the PDFs