TDNigeria is bleeding. Inflation bites harder than ever, unemployment festers, and millions of citizens struggle to afford basic necessities.
Yet, in the midst of this economic despair, the government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has chosen indulgence over prudence, luxury over responsibility, and self‑interest over service.
The following catalogue of expenditures exposes a disturbing pattern of reckless extravagance and brazen disregard for the suffering masses.
Palaces of Power: Lavish Renovations
- ₦21 Billion to renovate the Vice President’s residence — a staggering sum that could build thousands of affordable housing units for ordinary Nigerians.
- ₦4 Billion to refurbish Dodan Barracks in Lagos, a relic of military rule.
- ₦3 Billion to renovate Aguda House, another government property.
These projects symbolize a government obsessed with gilding its own comfort while citizens endure crumbling infrastructure and failing public services.
Lawmakers’ Luxury: SUVs for the Elite
- ₦70 Billion allocated for SUVs for National Assembly members.
- Each senator and representative receives a vehicle worth ₦160 Million.
This is not governance; it is gluttony.
At a time when Nigerians queue for hours to buy fuel and food, lawmakers cruise in luxury vehicles funded by taxpayers.
Committees & Cronies: Reward Without Results
- ₦5 Billion handed to the Presidential Tax Reforms Committee, composed of fewer than 20 members and headed by Taiwo Oyedele.
To date, there is little to show for this colossal expenditure.
- ₦15 Trillion Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road awarded under questionable circumstances to Gilbert Chagoury, a Lebanese businessman once repatriated by former President Obasanjo.
This reeks of cronyism and patronage, where contracts are awarded not for public good but for private gain.
First Lady’s Privileges: Constitutional Overreach
- ₦1.5 Billion spent on cars for Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady.
The Office of the First Lady is not recognized by Nigeria’s Constitution, making this expenditure not only extravagant but legally dubious.
Judiciary & Legislators: Inflated Salaries
- Judges granted a 300% salary increase, speedily approved by the Senate.
- Senators now earn ₦21 Million monthly.
- House of Representatives members earn ₦13.5 Million monthly.
These figures mock the average Nigerian worker, whose minimum wage remains stagnant at ₦30,000 per month — barely enough to survive.
Presidential Indulgences: Jets, Yachts, and Endless Trips
- ₦225 Billion spent on a so‑called Presidential Jet.
- ₦5 Billion budgeted for a Presidential fleet of cars.
- ₦5 Billion equally budgeted for a Presidential yacht.
- Billions more allocated for endless foreign trips by both President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
While leaders fly high, citizens are grounded in poverty.
Religious Spending: Hajj at Public Expense
- ₦90 Billion allocated for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage.
Religion becomes another avenue for political patronage, draining public coffers while hospitals lack drugs and schools lack teachers.
Bloated Cabinet: Ministers Without Measure
President Tinubu has appointed the largest number of ministers in Nigeria’s history, inflating government costs and bureaucracy.
This bloated cabinet is less about efficiency and more about rewarding loyalists with positions and perks.
Conclusion: A Government of Betrayal
This catalogue of extravagance is not just a list of numbers; it is a testament to betrayal.
It reveals a government detached from the realities of its people, insulated by wealth and privilege, and indifferent to the cries of the poor.
Every billion squandered is a classroom unbuilt, a hospital unfunded, a road unrepaired.
Every luxury enjoyed by the ruling elite is a slap in the face of the struggling Nigerian.
President Bola Ahmad Tinubu’s administration has chosen to gorge itself on public funds while citizens starve. This is not leadership — it is plunder dressed in the garb of governance.
