President Bola Tinubu criticized Nigerian state governors for constructing flyovers he described as needless [1].
The rebuke highlights a growing tension between federal expectations and state-level spending priorities. By questioning the utility of these projects, the president is signaling a shift in how infrastructure spending should be balanced against social obligations.
Tinubu said that some governors are prioritizing visible construction projects while failing to meet basic financial obligations to their workforce. He specifically pointed to the mismanagement of funds, saying that governors are taking four to five times their money [1].
This criticism comes amid broader concerns regarding the fiscal health of state governments. The president said that the current economic climate does not support the practice of using loans to cover basic operational costs. "Nobody is borrowing money to pay salaries now," Tinubu said [1].
The president said that the focus on flyovers serves as a distraction from more critical infrastructure needs. He indicated that the prioritization of these projects often comes at the expense of the people's welfare, specifically the timely payment of salaries [1].
State governors have traditionally held significant autonomy over their infrastructure budgets. However, the president's comments suggest a move toward greater federal scrutiny of how state funds are allocated and whether such projects provide actual economic value to the citizens [1].
“"They [governors] are taking four to five times their money."”
This public critique reflects a friction point in Nigerian governance where state-level 'prestige projects' clash with federal demands for fiscal discipline. By linking unnecessary construction to the failure of salary payments, the administration is attempting to pivot the public discourse toward accountability and essential service delivery over aesthetic urban development.
