**Headline**: *N5 Billion Spent on Vice President’s Lagos Residence Renovation Sparks Public Outcry*
The Nigerian government, under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has reportedly spent over N5 billion of public funds on renovating the official residence of Vice President Kashim Shettima in Lagos State.
Data from GovSpend, a civic tech platform that monitors Nigerian government expenditures, revealed that N5,034,077,063 was allocated in May and September 2024 for the renovations. Detailed records show that on May 31, 2024, N2.8 billion was paid to Denderi Investment Limited for refurbishment of the Vice President’s quarters. An additional N726.7 million and N1.48 billion were disbursed on September 5, 2024, to the same company for further phases of the renovation project.
Simultaneously, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration in Abuja announced plans to spend N15 billion to construct a “befitting” official residence for the Vice President in the capital. This plan was disclosed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike during a budget defense session before the House of Representatives committee.
These revelations have sparked backlash from Nigerian citizens and advocacy groups. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) condemned the spending, calling it a “breach of public trust” and a violation of Nigeria’s anti-corruption and human rights commitments. SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, noted that spending N15 billion on the new residence is excessive, especially as Nigeria plans to allocate over N8.25 trillion (30% of the 2024 budget) solely for debt servicing.
Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, criticized the administration for not honoring its pledge to reduce governance costs, while Debo Adeniran, Chair of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, stressed the need for a new constitution to curb excessive government spending.
These expenditures have reignited debates on the prioritization of public funds amidst economic challenges in Nigeria.
