A review of Nigeria’s 2026 budget by SaharaReporters shows that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), led by George Akume, plans to spend N496 million on office equipment, including three heavy-duty photocopy machines for the Cabinet Affairs office and office furniture. The budget line reads: “purchase of office equipments including supply and installation of three numbers heavy duty photocopy machines for cabinet affairs office end room and supply of office furniture.”
This comes amid a history of sizeable allocations for minor projects under the SGF’s office. In the 2025 budget, SaharaReporters noted that the same office budgeted N400 million for the supply and distribution of grinding machines across various federal constituencies. The breakdown included N100 million for Ifako-Ijaiye in Lagos State, N100 million for Bonny/Degema in Rivers State, and N200 million for Kaduna South.
Separately, the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology allocated N195 million for grinding machines for residents in Birnin Kebbi, Aliero, and Maiyama. These figures highlight the recurring trend of high allocations for relatively modest constituency-level interventions.
In addition to budget allocations, public payment records via Govspend indicate that Akume spent N9.6 million on branded towels for his 70th birthday celebration on December 26, 2023. The funds were reportedly disbursed to Okwoli Aromeh, the Chief Administrative Officer in the SGF office, to produce souvenir towels for the event held in Akume’s ancestral home in Wanune, Tarka LGA, Benue State.
George Akume was appointed SGF in June 2023. His spending has previously attracted scrutiny, including calls from the civil society group Voice of the Voiceless Nigerian in May 2023 for his suspension over alleged involvement in an N80 billion fraud. The group highlighted that while one of his aides, Torhile Uchi, was arrested and interrogated, no direct action had been taken against the SGF.
The 2026 budget allocation for photocopiers and furniture adds to ongoing debates about fiscal responsibility and transparency in public spending, especially amid previous high-value allocations for relatively small-scale projects.
