Thirty-three state governments spent at least N512.10 billion on Government Houses, governors’ offices and travel-related expenses in the first six months of 2026, according to an analysis of available state budget implementation reports.
The expenditure was recorded amid renewed debate over the cost of running state governments and the remuneration of political office holders, following recent comments by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori about the disparity between governors’ salaries and those of some senior civil servants.
The analysis, based on first- and second-quarter 2026 budget implementation reports, identified N420.01 billion under Government House, Governor’s Office and related executive-administration expenditure, while another N92.09 billion was recorded under travel and transport.
The combined expenditure was about 4,713 times the six-month basic salary of all 36 state governors, when the comparison is made using the N503,000 monthly salary figure cited publicly by Governor Oborevwori.
At N503,000 per month, a governor would earn N3.018 million over six months, putting the combined six-month salary of the 36 governors at approximately N108.65 million.
However, the comparison does not represent the governors’ total remuneration, as political office holders are entitled to other approved allowances and benefits. The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) is constitutionally responsible for determining remuneration for political office holders, including governors.
How the Spending Was Calculated
The expenditure analysis drew on available budget implementation records from 33 states and used the largest identifiable Government House, Governor’s Office or executive-administration expenditure line in each state, alongside the general travel and transport head.
Comparable figures 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 not available for Edo, Osun and Rivers states, meaning the N512.10 billion figure does not represent expenditure across all 36 states.
The analysis also showed that first-half 2026 spending was lower than the comparable period in 2025.
Available records for the first six months of 2025 showed N465.07 billion under Government House, Governor’s Office and similar executive-administration expenditure, while N92.73 billion was spent on travel and transport, bringing the combined figure to N557.80 billion.
That means the comparable first-half 2026 expenditure fell by about N45.70 billion, or 8.19 per cent, from the 2025 figure.
Oborevwori’s Salary Remark Rekindles Debate
The expenditure figures come shortly after Governor Oborevwori disclosed that his monthly salary was N503,000, compared with about N900,000 earned by Permanent Secretaries in Delta State.
Speaking during the inauguration of housing units and presentation of official vehicles to newly appointed Permanent Secretaries in Asaba, Oborevwori said: “Permanent Secretaries, your salary is N900,000; my salary is N503,000.”
The Governor’s statement has since become part of a wider conversation about public-sector remuneration, the cost of maintaining political offices and whether expenditure on government administration delivers commensurate value to citizens.
Oborevwori also said his administration had prioritised the welfare of civil servants, citing measures including official vehicles, public officers’ vehicle and housing loan schemes, training support and a planned 13th-month salary for state workers.
Spending Versus Salaries
The latest figures highlight a distinction between the personal remuneration of governors and the broader cost of maintaining the offices they occupy.
The N512.10 billion expenditure includes government-house and executive-office costs as well as travel and transport across the 33 states with usable records. It should therefore not be interpreted as money personally received or spent by governors as salaries.
At the same time, the scale of the expenditure is likely to sustain calls for greater transparency around state budget implementation, particularly concerning executive administration, official travel and the maintenance of government facilities.
The Budget Office of the Federation maintains a public repository of budget implementation reports, although state-level expenditure is primarily reported through the respective state budget and fiscal authorities.
The figures therefore provide a snapshot of the cost of executive administration across 33 states in the first half of 2026, rather than evidence that all states spent uniformly or that every expenditure was unnecessary.
