Dalung faults focus on governors’ salaries, says N512.1bn spent by states in 6 months raises bigger questions

Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has said the debate on whether Nigerian governors are adequately remunerated is misplaced, arguing that the real issue is the cost of maintaining the office of the governor and the machinery around it.

Dalung stated this in a Thursday post on Facebook in reaction to recent comments by Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, who disclosed that he earns a monthly salary of ₦503,000, lower than the ₦900,000 paid to permanent secretaries in the state.

The governor made the disclosure on August 21 during the inauguration of 12 duplexes and presentation of vehicles to Permanent Secretaries in Asaba, the state capital.

Dalung said while Oborevwori’s point about salary disparity may be valid, the conversation should shift to overhead costs.

“In just six months of 2026, 33 state governments reportedly spent ₦512.1 billion on Government Houses, Governors’ Offices and travel,” he stated.

According to analysis by a reputable online platform, budget implementation reports for the first and second quarters of 2026 showed that 33 states spent at least ₦512.10 billion on Government Houses, governors’ offices and travel-related expenses.

Of that sum, ₦420.01 billion was under Government House and Governor’s Office expenditure, while ₦92.09 billion was on travel and transport.

The analysis further showed that the combined spending is about 4,713 times the six-month basic salary of all 36 governors, using the ₦503,000 monthly figure cited by Oborevwori.

At that rate, a governor earns ₦3.018 million in six months, putting the total for 36 governors at approximately ₦108.65 million.

“The issue is not simply how much a governor earns as salary. The more important question is: how much does it cost the state to maintain the governor and the entire machinery around his office?” Dalung said.

He added that governors “preside over the machinery, determine priorities and ultimately bear political responsibility for how public resources are deployed,” and questioned the cost of vehicles, residences, entourages, security, and protocol attached to the office.

“While citizens are being told to tighten their belts… the machinery surrounding political office continues to consume hundreds of billions of naira,” he said.

“This is not merely a salary problem. It is a priority problem. It is a culture-of-governance problem. And, frankly, it is a moral problem.”