SAHARA REPORTERS
ASaharaReporters analysis of the 2025 budget proposal reveals that N5.4 billion has been allocated for the renovation of the presidential villa.
This expenditure falls under the annual maintenance provision for the state house, overseen by the presidency. Furthermore, an additional N4.6 billion is earmarked for the purchase of new vehicles for the government.
According to the document, the sum of N3.6 billion was budgeted for the purchase of operational vehicles for the state house while another N1 billion was budgeted for the replacement of SUV vehicles.
This continual expenditure on SUVs and state house renovation comes amid calls for prudence in the management of government resources.
In the ongoing 2024 fiscal year, the government spent billions of naira on the purchase of SUVs and renovations of presidential buildings.
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that documents from public payments portal, Govspend, showed that the Nigerian Presidency spent N5.1 billion on buying cars between August 18 and September 9, representing 21 days or three weeks.
Data published on the Govspend website showed that the state house paid N3.4 billion on August 18 for the purchase of 16 2023/2024 model of Toyota Prado for the state house in Abuja.
This means that each Prado cost N212 million.
On September 9, 2024, N1.7 billion was spent to buy 10 Toyota Camry V4, 2023, for the state house.
Nigeria currently battles with issues around revenue, relying heavily on loans to fund its budget.
A SaharaReporters’ review of the data published by Open Treasury Portal also showed that in one month, the President Bola Tinubu’s administration spent N3.6 billion on the rehabilitation/renovation of residential buildings in May 2024. Another sum of N8.5 billion was spent on provision/construction of office buildings in May 2024, totalling N12.1 billion.
