Sokoto govt spent ₦1 billion on lawmakers’ vehicles

This comes after N3.682 billion was spent on the same purpose in 2024. Combined, the state has spent a total of N4.682 billion on vehicles for lawmakers and management staff over 18 months.

The Sokoto State government has spent N1 billion on purchasing 30 vehicles for House of Assembly lawmakers and management staff within the first six months of 2025, SaharaReporters can confirm.

This comes after N3.682 billion was spent on the same purpose in 2024. Combined, the state has spent a total of N4.682 billion on vehicles for lawmakers and management staff over 18 months.

On average, each of the 30 vehicles costs about N156 million.

The spending has drawn scrutiny, particularly given that Sokoto State has the highest number of impoverished citizens in Nigeria, according to the Multidimensional Poverty Index published by the National Bureau of Statistics.

According to the data, 5.81 million persons in Sokoto are poor, the highest in the country.

While the state splashes billions on 30 vehicles for its lawmakers, 60% of households in the state lack access to sanitary facilities.

Another 49% of households in the state lack access to clean drinking water. The statistics further show that 52% of children of school age lack access to education.

Despite spending N1 billion between January and June 2025 alone on the purchase of the vehicles, it spent only N50 million on rehabilitation/repairs of water facilities.

The state’s spending on vehicles between January and June 2025 comes despite generating N10.1 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) during the same period.

This indicates that roughly 10% of the state’s IGR was allocated to the purchase of 30 additional vehicles for lawmakers and House of Assembly management staff.

Further review shows that between January and June 2025, only N39.9 million was spent on rehabilitation/repairs of hospitals/health centres.

There have been concerns over prudence in the management of resources by states, especially amid developmental needs and pressing issues such as poverty.

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