The Lagos State Government, under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has come under fresh scrutiny following revelations that ₦2 billion has been allocated in the 2025 budget for the renovation of the Alausa and Old Secretariat Staff Canteen—despite ₦1 billion already spent on the same project in 2024.
According to official budget documents, the 2024 allocation for the canteen renovation was fully utilized, representing a 100% budget performance. However, the 2025 budget proposes an additional ₦2 billion for the same purpose, raising questions about fiscal discipline and transparency in the state’s public spending.
This new allocation comes amid growing public concern over government expenditure and increasing demands for accountability in the use of taxpayer funds.
The development follows earlier reports by SaharaReporters that the Lagos State government had already spent a staggering ₦45 billion between 2023 and 2024 on purchasing vehicles for members of the Lagos State House of Assembly. Despite this, an additional ₦20.6 billion has been earmarked for vehicles in the 2025 fiscal year.
Breakdown of the vehicle expenditure includes:
- ₦30.194 billion spent in 2023,
- ₦15 billion allocated in 2024, and
- ₦20.6 billion proposed for 2025.
If approved and fully disbursed, the total amount spent on vehicles over the three-year period would rise to ₦65.794 billion. These vehicles reportedly include 40 backup cars, 40 utility buses, and 40 official vehicles for the state lawmakers.
Further analysis of the 2025 budget shows that:
- ₦500 million has been set aside for the provision of guest houses and residential quarters for legislators,
- ₦30.3 billion is allocated for new fencing, access roads, landscaping, and beautification projects,
- ₦11.041 billion will go toward the rehabilitation of the House of Assembly complex, including upgrades to gatehouses, prayer spaces, car parks, and recreational facilities.
The repeated and substantial allocations to projects that appear to have been previously completed or excessively funded have sparked public outrage, with many Nigerians demanding answers on the rationale behind the expenditures.
Critics argue that such spending patterns reflect a deep-rooted issue of mismanagement and lack of accountability in the state’s budgeting and governance process.
