By Omowumi Omotosho
Fresh budgetary data has revealed that Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, alongside 28 other state governors, spent a staggering N79.97bn on domestic and international travel between January and June 2025.
The figure, drawn from Q1 and Q2 budget performance reports published on the official websites of the states, represents a 14.72 per cent rise from the N69.71bn spent on similar expenses during the same period in 2024.
Kwara State alone recorded N1.2bn in travel expenses within the six-month period, despite attracting no foreign capital investment in the first quarter of 2025. According to the National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) Capital Importation Report for Q1 2025, only five states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) received any foreign inflows during the review period.
The FCT topped the list with $3.05bn, accounting for 54.11 per cent of the national total. Lagos followed with $2.56bn (45.44 per cent), while Ogun State received $7.95m (0.14 per cent). Oyo recorded $7.81m, Kaduna $4.06m, and Kano just $120,000.
A state-by-state breakdown shows Lagos as the highest spender on travel, with N6.23bn recorded in Q1 alone. Osun trailed closely with N6.21bn, followed by Kano with N5.58bn—the highest in the North.
Taraba spent N5.22bn, Bayelsa N3.78bn, Ekiti N3.76bn, and both Borno and Cross River posted N3.68bn each. Yobe spent N3.70bn, while Edo recorded N3.51bn.
Other notable figures include Bauchi (N3.66bn), Niger (N2.63bn), Adamawa (N2.24bn), Nasarawa (N2.24bn), and Kogi (N1.75bn). Benue reported N1.13bn in Q1 alone. In the South-East, Abia spent N1.03bn, Ebonyi N1.45bn, and Imo N928.34m. Enugu and Anambra have yet to publish expenditure figures for the period.
In the South-South, Bayelsa led with N3.78bn, followed by Cross River and Edo. Delta reported N884.81m in Q1. Akwa Ibom and Rivers are yet to release their data. Kebbi spent N1.53bn, Sokoto N2.59bn, Zamfara N2.77bn, Jigawa N1.26bn, Kaduna N1.86bn, and Katsina N548.24m in Q1.
From the South-West, Osun and Ekiti topped the chart, while Ondo recorded N1.83bn and Oyo N1.89bn. Ogun is yet to publish its report.
