29 State Governors Spend N80 Billion on Travels in Six Months Despite Poor Investment Returns
At least 29 state governors across Nigeria have collectively spent a staggering N79.97 billion on domestic and international travel between January and June 2025, according to official budget records. This marks a 14.72 percent increase from the N69.71 billion expended during the same period in 2024, despite mounting debt burdens, shrinking revenues, and growing public discontent over economic hardship.
The figure, as reported by Punch, paints a stark picture of fiscal choices in a year when most states have failed to attract meaningful foreign investment or deliver visible development outcomes. For many Nigerians, the spending spree underscores a widening disconnect between political leaders’ travel priorities and the urgent developmental needs of the citizens they govern.
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Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveals that despite the billions spent on travel — often justified by state officials as “investment promotion” or “economic diplomacy” — only six states managed to attract any foreign capital inflows in the first quarter of 2025. These were Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna, Kano, and Ekiti.
The NBS data shows:
- The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recorded $3.05 billion in inflows.
- Lagos State received $2.56 billion.
- Kano State barely attracted $120,000.
- The remaining 31 states recorded zero foreign investment.
This raises a troubling question: what exactly have these expensive official trips achieved?
Among the top spenders, Lagos State recorded the highest travel expenditure in Q1 2025 at N6.23 billion, closely followed by Osun with N6.21 billion, and Kano with N5.58 billion. Taraba, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Borno, Yobe, and Edo also ranked high on the list.
By geopolitical zone, the spending pattern was as follows:
- South-West: N19.92 billion (24.9 percent of total expenditure)
- North-West: N17.58 billion
- North-East: N13.92 billion
Other zones also reported significant outlays, but none matched the South-West’s travel spending dominance.
This pattern is particularly striking given that the South-West already has some of the most developed investment infrastructures in the country, raising questions about whether the heavy travel budgets are truly targeted at underdeveloped or neglected sectors.
President Bola Tinubu has publicly called on governors to shift focus from excessive travel and ceremonial projects toward programs that deliver tangible benefits, especially in rural communities.
“I want to appeal to you; let us change the story of our people in the rural areas. We have to embrace mechanisation in agriculture, fight insecurity, and improve school enrolment through feeding,” the president said recently in Abuja.
The call reflects a broader concern in policy circles that current governance priorities do not align with pressing development needs such as food security, infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
Economic experts have been blunt in their criticism of the governors’ spending patterns.
Muda Yusuf, an economist and former Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted:
“Governors should not only concentrate development in the state capital, but also spread development to other locations within the state. These trips often consume funds that could be deployed for rural infrastructure, farm-to-market roads, or primary health centres.”
Professor Segun Ajibola lamented the apparent abdication of oversight duties by many state legislatures.
“State assemblies have abandoned their oversight roles. There is no iota of transparency and accountability. Budgets are approved with vague justifications for travel, and no one checks whether these trips deliver returns.”
Trade and investment expert Professor Jonathan Aremu pointed out the futility of spending heavily on trips when basic security and governance conditions are not met.
“Investment doesn’t go to places where there are crises. No amount of international travel will attract investors if a state cannot guarantee safety, legal certainty, and infrastructure.”
The revelation of N80 billion in travel spending has triggered intense public debate, with many citizens expressing frustration at what they see as “lavish governance in a time of hunger.”
In several states, civil society organisations have demanded detailed breakdowns of travel expenditures, including the size of delegations, destinations visited, and agreements or partnerships secured. Some activists have gone further, calling for Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to compel governors to disclose travel itineraries and outcomes.
The optics are particularly damaging in states that have delayed salary payments, reduced social services, or increased taxes while maintaining — or even increasing — official travel budgets.
The contrast between the billions spent on travel and the negligible investment results is one of the most glaring findings of the mid-year fiscal analysis.
According to analysts, foreign investors typically assess several factors before committing to projects:
- Security – Stable environments are essential for investment.
- Infrastructure – Roads, power, and communication systems must be reliable.
- Ease of Doing Business – Efficient bureaucracy, fair taxation, and clear regulations attract investment.
- Human Capital – Skilled labor availability matters.
Many Nigerian states fail to meet these basic requirements, meaning that no matter how many overseas trips governors undertake, their states remain unattractive to investors.
Critics argue that some of the trips have little to do with serious economic engagement and more to do with political image-building. High-profile foreign visits often come with photo opportunities, media coverage, and the perception of international stature — even when they yield no concrete deals.
One former senior aide to a governor, speaking anonymously, admitted:
“Many of these trips are more about optics than substance. A governor attending a conference abroad might have only one official meeting and spend the rest of the time in social or ceremonial engagements. The reports presented to the state assembly are often padded with vague claims of ‘investment interest.’”
In theory, state legislatures are supposed to scrutinize executive spending, approve budgets, and monitor implementation. In practice, legislative oversight is often compromised by political alignment between governors and assembly members, as well as patronage politics that discourage confrontation.
Without robust legislative scrutiny, governors face little pressure to justify or limit travel spending.
The N80 billion travel bill has broader implications for Nigeria’s fragile public finances. Many states rely heavily on federal allocations from oil revenue, which have been volatile. A significant portion of state budgets goes to recurrent expenditures, leaving limited room for capital projects.
Diverting billions to travel not only crowds out funding for essential services but also increases pressure on states to borrow, often at high interest rates. As of mid-2025, the Debt Management Office reports that several states are approaching unsustainable debt levels.
The data showing that South-West governors spent nearly a quarter of the total raises further questions about how travel budgets are allocated. While the region includes economically active states like Lagos and Ogun, critics point out that governors from poorer states with limited revenue bases also appear on the list of top spenders.
The North-West and North-East, regions facing serious security challenges, collectively spent over N31 billion on travel in the same period — prompting observers to ask whether resources would have been better deployed to security and reconstruction.
Following the release of the mid-year budget data, advocacy groups such as BudgIT and SERAP have called for travel expenditure audits. BudgIT in particular has argued that governors should publish “trip outcome reports” to justify expenses, including:
- Agreements signed
- Investors met
- Projects initiated or completed as a result of the trip
SERAP has threatened legal action to compel greater transparency, citing the public’s right to know how state resources are used.
Several policy experts have proposed reforms to curb excessive travel spending:
- Mandatory Legislative Pre-Approval – Require state assemblies to approve all international trips costing above a certain threshold.
- Outcome-Based Reporting – Governors must publish detailed post-trip reports.
- Travel Delegation Limits – Restrict the size of official entourages.
- Virtual Engagement – Use video conferencing for meetings that do not require physical presence.
The public’s mood is one of skepticism and fatigue. On social media, hashtags like #CutGovernorsTrips and #SpendOnPeople have gained traction. Many Nigerians are asking how leaders can justify international junkets when rural communities lack clean water, hospitals face drug shortages, and school buildings remain dilapidated.
One widely shared post on X read:
“If governors truly believe these trips bring investments, let them show us the figures. How many jobs were created? How much revenue has come in? Enough of the tourism at taxpayers’ expense.”
Whether the revelations of mid-year spending will lead to policy changes remains to be seen. Some governors have already defended their travel budgets as necessary for “networking” and “building partnerships,” but the lack of measurable outcomes has left many unconvinced.
For President Tinubu’s administration, the issue is also a test of its commitment to fiscal discipline at all levels of government. While the presidency can only advise, it may use federal influence — such as budget support or project approvals — to nudge governors toward greater accountability.
The N80 billion spent by 29 state governors on travel in just six months of 2025 is more than a budget statistic — it is a mirror reflecting the priorities and governance culture of Nigeria’s political class.
The contrast between expenditure and results could not be starker: 31 states failed to attract a single dollar of foreign investment in the first quarter, yet travel budgets continue to grow. In a country where millions live below the poverty line, and where rural communities struggle with basic infrastructure, such spending choices risk deepening public disillusionment with government.
Unless state assemblies reclaim their oversight role, civil society maintains pressure, and governors themselves commit to outcome-driven travel, the second half of 2025 may see a repeat of the same pattern — expensive trips, few results, and an ever-widening gap between governance promises and lived reality.