Nigerian state governments are spending more money on transport infrastructure while lagging behind on education, healthcare, and social protection, despite recording higher earnings since 2023. This issue came to light during the presentation of BudgIT’s 2026 “State of States” report, according to Development Diaries.
The report, which looked into the 2025 financial records of 35 states, showed that capital poured into transport infrastructure expanded much faster than funding for basic public services. The World Bank, which raised worries during the report launch on 3 November, also pointed out that federal allocations made up more than three-quarters of total earnings for nearly all states in 2025.
Health sector figures highlight the slow pace of investment in social services. A separate assessment of health spending for the first half of 2026 revealed that 34 states spent N621.34 billion on healthcare. That amount represented only 40.48 percent of their approved health budgets for the period, with Rivers and Osun left out because their expenditure figures were not available.
The report noted that while building roads supports the economy and connects people to key centres, it does little good if basic facilities remain broken. A good road network cannot cure patients if local clinics do not have drugs, basic equipment, or medical workers. In the same way, new classrooms offer little value when schools stay packed and teachers work without books and essential learning tools.
This imbalance hits vulnerable groups hardest, including women, young people, and persons living with disabilities. Young people struggle to access proper training, while women and children in poor communities continue to bear the brunt of weak healthcare and basic sanitation systems.
Under Section 17 and Section 18 of Nigeria's constitution, the government is tasked with providing adequate health facilities and educational opportunities for citizens. Frameworks like the National Health Act 2014 and the Universal Basic Education Act also lay out clear responsibilities for state agencies and local authorities to deliver these services.
Calls are now growing for state administrations to openly publish their spending records, including exact project locations and delivery dates, so the public and oversight bodies can track how public funds are used.
