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By Chinelo Obogo
Despite mounting debts on their necks, House of Assembly members in Delta, Lagos, Osun and Oyo will spend N36, 279,216,777 (approximately N36.28 billion) on travel expenses alone in 2026, Daily Sun can report.
Obviously, air tickets will gulp a chunk of the budget.
An analysis of state budget allocations across these four states by Daily Sun shows that 112 state legislators in these states will spend over N36 billion on travel expenses alone in 2026, even as critical sectors including healthcare and water infrastructure remain underfunded.
According to the budget documents analysed, the travel allocations break down as follows: Lagos State House of Assembly leads with N30.91 billion, Delta State legislators allocated N3.59 billion, Oyo State set aside N1.08 billion, while Osun State earmarked N700 million for international travel alone which brings it to a combined total of N36,279,216,777 while Nigerians struggle to access basic amenities.
The figure does not include additional billions allocated for related expenses such as sitting allowances, welfare packages, vehicle purchases, and other discretionary spending that further inflate the cost of maintaining state legislatures.
Osun State
In Osun State, a legislature of just 26 members has allocated N1.3 billion in the 2026 budget for international travel and sitting allowances. The detailed breakdown reveals N700 million earmarked specifically for international travel expenses, while an additional N600 million has been designated for sitting allowances which is the compensation legislators receive for attending parliamentary sessions.
The allocation raises eyebrows when compared to the State Ministry of Health’s budget for drugs and medical supplies, which is just N180 million. This means that 26 elected officials will spend seven times more on their travel and allowances than the entire state allocates to provide essential medications for millions of its citizens.
For residents of Osun State facing medical emergencies or seeking basic healthcare, the N180 million allocated for drugs and medical supplies is for hospitals, clinics, and primary health centers throughout the state.
Delta State
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The situation in Delta State is no belter as 29 state legislators have appropriated N3.59 billion exclusively for travel expenses, earmarked N2.1 billion for “welfare,” N1.6 billion for electricity costs, N706 million for training programs, and N220 million for newspaper subscriptions and publications.
The combined legislative expenditure exceeds N8 billion, which is more than 10 times the allocated budget for either the Urban Water Corporation or the Rural Water Sanitation and Supply Agency. The implication for Delta State’s residents, who face an acute water and sanitation crisis, is dire as about 60 percent of Delta’s population lacks access to safe drinking water, while 40 percent consume water contaminated with E. coli bacteria while four in 10 residents practice open defecation due to inadequate toilet facilities.
Oyo State
Oyo State’s 32 legislators have allocated N6.5 billion for operational expenses and the detailed breakdown reveals that N2.5 billion was earmarked to buy fuel for generators while N1.6 billion was budgeted for vehicle purchases, N2 billion for “public enlightenment” activities, N413 million for welfare expenses and N1.08 billion earmarked specifically for travel.
The N6.5 billion legislative allocation exceeds by more than double the state government’s entire budget for constructing primary health centers intended to serve millions of the state’s residents.
Lagos State
The Lagos State House of Assembly allocated N30,909,216,777 for travel in the 2026 budget. While Lagos operates with a significantly larger budget than other states due to its substantial internally generated revenue, this travel allocation has provoked criticism from stakeholders, prompting a former governorship candidate, Funsho Doherty, to write to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, seeking answers as to why such huge amount was allocated for travel.
Despite its relative prosperity compared to other Nigerian states, Lagos still confronts massive infrastructure challenges across transportation, housing, education, and healthcare sectors. The state’s residents still battle with traffic congestion, housing crisis, dilapidated and overcrowded schools, and overstretched healthcare facilities, problems that could benefit from the nearly N31 billion being devoted to legislative travel.
FG’s travel spending pattern
The state-level expenditure is no different from what is obtainable at the federal level. According to data compiled by GovSpend, a government spending tracker managed by the civil society organisation BudgIT, the Presidency spent at least N34.39 billion on foreign exchange purchases for international travel and related obligations over a two-year period spanning 2024 and 2025.
The comprehensive records, which cover transactions by the State House, Presidential Air Fleet, the Office of the Chief of Staff, and operations linked to the President, Vice President, First Lady, and their aides, reveal that 2024 accounted for N29.35 billion of this expenditure, while 2025 recorded N5.04 billion.
These transactions encompass foreign currency purchases for official trips, aviation operations, estacodes which are the daily allowances paid to officials on foreign trips, training programs, and logistics for international engagements involving top executive officials.
