States spent N512bn on govt houses, travel — 4,713 times governors’ combined salaries

Thirty-three state governments spent at least N512.10bn on Government Houses, Governors’ Offices and travel in the first half of 2026, roughly 4,713 times the combined six-month salary of Nigeria’s 36 governors, an analysis by PUNCH has shown.

While a governor’s N503,000 monthly salary totals N108.65m for all 36 governors over six months, N420.01bn went to executive administration and N92.09bn to travel. Development economist Aliyu Ilias said focusing solely on governors’ basic salaries, without accounting for these broader costs, was misleading.