Between January and September 2025, Sokoto State spent ₦1 billion on thirty vehicles for members of the House of Assembly and management staff, according to budget performance documents reviewed by Standarddailypress.
A wider review revealed that ₦4.6 billion was spent on luxury vehicles for lawmakers, even as the state faces severe insecurity and poverty. In 2024, lawmakers had already spent ₦3.6 billion on vehicles, bringing the total for the period to ₦4.6 billion.
Documents show that ₦15.520 billion was budgeted for vehicle purchases for House members, executive council members, and special advisers, including:
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30 vehicles for lawmakers and management staff: ₦3.1 billion
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Fleet for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker: ₦460 million
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20 vehicles for government functionaries: ₦500 million
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30 Prado Jeeps for executive council members: ₦8.6 billion
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40 Changan vehicles for special advisers: ₦2.8 billion
Within just six months, ₦7.2 billion had already been spent on vehicles for political appointees.
Meanwhile, Sokoto remains Nigeria’s poorest state, with 5.81 million people classified as poor. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 60% of households lack sanitary facilities, 49% have no access to clean water, and 52% of school-age children are out of school.
Civil society actors warn that these numbers reveal a stark mismatch between government spending and the urgent, life-changing needs of citizens.
