Tinubu Budgets N7 Billion for Renovation of Presidential Residences in Lagos
President Bola Tinubu has proposed to spend N7 billion for the renovation of his official residence and that of his vice president in Lagos, as part of the supplementary budget sent to the National Assembly for approval.
The budget, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council on Monday, also includes N4 billion for the renovation of presidential quarters for the president, N4 billion for the construction of an office complex within the state house and N2.5 billion for the renovation of Aguda House in Abuja.
The supplementary budget, which amounts to N2.17 trillion, was requested by Tinubu on Tuesday, urging the lawmakers to approve it speedily. The budget is meant to address the security challenges, health sector needs and economic recovery efforts of the country.
However, some Nigerians have criticized the president for allocating such a huge amount for the renovation of his residences in Lagos, which are rarely used by him or his vice president. They argued that the money could have been better spent on more pressing needs, such as education, health care, infrastructure and social welfare.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, who handed over power to Tinubu in May 2023, used the official residence in Lagos less than four times throughout his two consecutive terms in office. Buhari preferred to use his residence in Daura, Katsina State, whenever he was on vacation.
Mr Buhari first visited Lagos on 21, May 2016 for a 2-day working visit. In that first official visit to the state, since he assumed office about a year after, the president spent the night in the state where he commissioned the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the constructed Ago Palace Way in Okota, Isolo, among others.
In March 2018, the former president visited Lagos in another two-day working visit, where he attended the Colloquium organised to mark the 66th Birthday of Mr Tinubu who was then the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC). During that visit, Mr Buhari performed the official flag-off ceremony for the construction of the Lekki Deep Sea Port project, Ibeju Lekki, among others.
In January this year, Mr Buhari visited Lagos for a two-dayL working visit where he cut the tape on many projects including the Imota Rice Mill, and Lekki Deep Sea Port among others.
He returned to the state in May for his last official visit as president where he commissioned the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote refinery located at the Lekki free zone near Lagos.
It is not clear if Tinubu will use his residence on Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi, which is less than a 10-minute drive to his official residence in Dodan Barrack, during his vacation.
The renovation of the presidential residences in Lagos is seen by some Nigerians as a waste of public funds and a sign of insensitivity by the Tinubu administration, which has appealed to Nigerians to tighten their belts following the economic hardship and inflation that followed the removal of subsidy on petroleum.
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