Nigeria’s state governments spent a combined N512.10 billion on Government Houses, Governors’ Offices and travel-related expenses during the first six months of 2026, according to an analysis of available state expenditure records.
The spending covered 33 states, while comparable figures were not available for all 36 states. The amount was significantly higher than the combined six-month salaries of the country’s 36 governors, estimated at N108.65 million.
Government House and Governors’ Office expenses accounted for the largest portion of the expenditure, reaching N420.01 billion between January and June 2026.
Although the figure represented a decline from the N465.07 billion recorded by the same category in the first half of 2025, the reduction amounted to N45.05 billion, or 9.69 per cent.
Spending on travel and transportation, however, remained relatively stable. States spent N92.09 billion on the category during the first half of 2026, compared with N92.73 billion during the corresponding period of 2025.
Kogi State recorded the highest identifiable expenditure on Government House and the Governor’s Office, with N65.34 billion spent in the first six months of 2026. The figure represented a 25.66 per cent increase from the N51.99 billionrecorded in the same period of 2025.
Cross River also recorded a sharp rise, with its expenditure increasing from N9.91 billion in 2025 to N23.92 billion in 2026, representing a 141.37 per cent increase.
In Bayelsa, spending rose from N14.48 billion to N22.99 billion, an increase of N8.51 billion or 58.75 per cent. Ekiti State, which had no comparable 2025 figure in the dataset, recorded N25.22 billion in the first half of 2026.
Other states recorded reductions. Ogun’s identifiable expenditure fell from N49.83 billion in 2025 to N45.26 billion in 2026, while Kano reduced its spending from N28.84 billion to N25.87 billion.
The figures highlight significant differences in how state governments allocated funds to administrative operations, official residences, offices and travel, with some states recording substantial increases despite reductions in others.