The federal government has proposed spending N1.5 billion on vehicles for the Office of the First Lady, despite the economic challenges facing Nigeria.
This allocation is part of the N2.17 trillion supplementary budget that President Bola Tinubu requested from the National Assembly. While the administration has urged patience from Nigerians amid economic hardships, this extravagant spending has raised concerns.
Apart from the First Lady’s Office, the government plans to allocate N2.9 billion for Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for the Presidential Villa, another N2.9 billion to replace operational vehicles for the presidency, and N4 billion for the renovation of the president’s residential quarters. Additionally, N2.5 billion is set aside for renovating the vice president’s residence, with a total of N28 billion allocated for the State House.
A further N12.5 billion is designated for the Presidential Air Fleet, which includes various aircraft and helicopters. Despite public outcry, this supplementary budget may receive approval from lawmakers, who previously spent over N75 billion on purchasing luxury “official vehicles” for themselves.
