31 States Cannot Attract Foreign Capital Inflow, But Spend Funds Recklessly – NBS Report
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its Capital Importation report for Q1, 2025 has revealed that 31 states of Nigeria failed to attract any form of foreign capital Inflow during the period under review.
This was despite collectively spending billions of naira in public funds on local and foreign trips purportedly aimed at driving investment.
The report however listed five states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as having recorded foreign capital inflows during the review quarter with FCT emerging on the top with $3.05 billion, accounted for 54.11 per cent of the total capital Inflow.
Lagos State followed closely with $2.56 billion or 45.44 per cent, while Ogun State received $7.95 million (0.14 per cent). Other beneficiaries were Oyo State with $7.81 million, Kaduna State with $4.06 million, and Kano, trailing with mere $120,000.
The agency which is yet to publish results for the second quarter, took a cursory review of the budget implementation, reporting that only 26 states have published their financial records for both the first and second quarters of the year.
Benue, Lagos, Delta, and Katsina have so far released only their Q1 reports, while Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Ogun, Rivers, and Plateau are yet to make any financial records public for the period under review.
This is even as an analysis of the fiscal performance of each state, utilising data from the Q1 to Q2 budget performance reports obtained from each state’s website, revealed that 29 state governors spent N79.97 billion on domestic and international travel expenses between January and June 2025.
An analysis of the state-by-state breakdown of travel expenses revealed significant disparities in the amount spent by governors on local and foreign trips, with some states spending more than double the amounts recorded by others within the same period.
Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial capital, recorded the highest expenditure, with a staggering N6.23 billion spent in the first quarter of 2025 alone. It was closely followed by Osun State, which recorded N6.21 billion, and Kano State, which spent N5.58 billion, placing it as the highest spender in the North.
Also ranking among the top spenders were Taraba State, which spent N5.22 billion, and Bayelsa, which committed N3.78 billion to travel-related expenses. Ekiti (N3.76 billion), Borno (N3.68 billion), and Cross River (N3.68 billion) also maintained high spending profiles, alongside Yobe (N3.70 billion) and Edo (N3.51billion).
In the North-East, Adamawa spent N2.24 billion, while Bauchi recorded N3.66 billion. Gombe spent N1.20 billion, and Yobe committed N3.70 billion. Borno State matched Cross River’s figure with N3.68 billion. From the North-Central, Niger State incurred N2.63 billion in travel costs, while Nasarawa and Benue reported N2.24 billion and N1.13 billion respectively, with Benue’s figure reflecting only Q1 expenditure.
Kogi and Kwara states recorded N1.75 billion and N1.2 billion, respectively. In the South-East, Abia state spent (N1.03 billion), Ebonyi state (N1.45 billion), and Imo state (N928.34 million). Enugu and Anambra states had not published their expenditure reports for the year at the time of this report.
For the South-South region, Bayelsa state led with N3.78 billion, followed by Cross River State (N3.68 billion) and Edo State (N3.51billion). Delta state reported N884.81 million in Q1 alone, while Akwa Ibom and Rivers States had not made any financial disclosures for the period under review. Kebbi and Sokoto in the North-West reported N1.53 billion and N2.59 billion respectively, while Zamfara state recorded N2.77 billion. Jigawa state spent N1.26 billion, Kaduna State (N1.86 billion), Kano State (N5.58 billion), and Katsina State (N548.24 million) in Q1.
In the South-West, Osun and Ekiti states led with N6.21 billion and N3.76 billion respectively. Ondo state spent N1.83 billion, Oyo state (N1.89 billion), and Lagos state N6.23 billion in Q1. Ogun State is yet to publish its financial report. Notably, Delta, Benue, Katsina, and Lagos only published their Q1 records, meaning their actual annual travel expenses may be significantly higher.
A geopolitical analysis of the expenditure revealed that South-West governors were the biggest travellers, accounting for N19.92 billion or 24.9 per cent of the total amount spent, even though only four of the six states in the region had available data.
The North-West states followed closely with N17.58 billion (22 per cent), while the North-East region recorded N13.92 billion (17.4 per cent) in travelling expenses. In the South-South region, state governors collectively spent N11.81 billion, representing 14.8 per cent of the total travel expenditure.
The North-Central 🙏 region governors spent a total of N10.79 billion, accounting for 13.5 per cent of the overall spend. In the South-East, travel expenses stood at N5.94 billion, amounting to 7.4 per cent of the total.
The wide-ranging figures have continued to raise concerns about fiscal discipline and value-for-money in governance, particularly in states battling infrastructure deficits. At different fora, financial experts have also raised concerns about states’ spending on recurrent expenditure, highlighting the need to embrace financial innovations.
Source: Economic Confidential.
Nafisa and Rukayya, both from Yobe state, are students of the Nigerian Tulip International College, who reprepresented Nigeria at the World competition to beat other 20,000 participants from 69 countries.
How Politicians Are Bastardizing Nigeria’s Academic Institutions, By Deen Adavize
In a country where public universities face perennial underfunding, dilapidated infrastructure, and frequent strikes, Nigeria’s political class has found a new way to erode the dignity of its academic institutions through abrupt renaming, driven by political gratification rather than merit or history. This creeping trend, where institutions are renamed after politicians or individuals with little or no ties to their founding vision, is not only revisionist but also a calculated desecration of academic heritage.
The Nigerian academic landscape is littered with stories of such political interference. One of the most controversial attempts as reported in the dailies was in 2012 when the federal government under President Goodluck Jonathan sought to rename the prestigious University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University. The backlash was swift and deafening. Students, alumni, and civil society groups vehemently rejected the move, staging protests across the nation. Many questioned the rationale behind the decision and decried the lack of consultation. Eventually, the government backtracked but the attempt left a sour taste in the mouth of many Nigerians.
Unfortunately, other institutions were not as lucky. Kogi State University, popularly known as KSU originally established to serve as a beacon of higher learning in the North Central region, was renamed Prince Abubakar Audu University by the state government in honor of the late former governor. While Abubakar Audu played a significant role in the founding of the university, critics argue that renaming the institution unilaterally without input from stakeholders undermines its neutrality and opens the door for political manipulation of academia.
Even more recently, news broke out, of the federal government’s plan to rename the University of Maiduguri (UniMaid) after former President Muhammadu Buhari. While some saw it as a tribute to a former head of state, many others interpreted it as a political maneuver that fails to respect the history, mission, and cultural significance of the institution. Beyond the name change lies the issue of credibility. How do international partners, researchers, and alumni reconcile such arbitrary changes with the continuity and stability expected of academic institutions?
The implications of this trend are deeply troubling. Globally, universities, by their nature, are meant to be independent centers of knowledge, critical thinking, and cultural preservation. Their names are often symbolic, carrying the weight of their history, founding ideals, and community values. When politicians impose name changes based on transient political motives, they effectively rewrite history and erode the identity of the institution.
Moreover, these changes are frequently announced with no input from students, faculty, alumni, or the host communities, stakeholders who are the lifeblood of any academic institution. The absence of due process not only undermines the democratic ethos expected in academic spaces but also stirs resentment and distrust.
One of the less discussed consequences is the impact on the institution’s global reputation. Nigerian universities are already struggling with international recognition, limited research funding, and minimal global partnerships. Frequent name changes confuse international collaborators and harm the continuity of institutional branding. Academic publications, citations, and alumni credentials become difficult to trace, affecting both academic visibility and employability of graduates.
This political meddling also sends the wrong message to young Nigerians. At a time when the country needs role models grounded in academic excellence, research breakthroughs, and innovation, politicians are glorifying themselves by imposing their names on public assets. It signals to the younger generation that political power, not scholarly impact or societal contribution is the ultimate currency of recognition.
This undignified trend is not isolated to the aforementioned institutions alone. Other institutions have also faced similar fates or proposals. The Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, was once renamed Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, and the Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo was changed to Alex Ekwueme Federal University. While some may argue that these individuals contributed to nation-building, critics maintain that renaming institutions in their honor without transparent dialogue reduces universities to mere political trophies.
It is worth noting that academic institutions around the world reserve such honors for individuals with groundbreaking contributions to knowledge or to the institution itself, not merely for holding political office. The University of Oxford, Harvard, and other globally revered universities maintain their identities for centuries, which partly contribute to their esteemed legacies. Nigeria should not be an exception.
If the goal is to honor distinguished individuals, there are many alternative means. Endowments, lecture halls, research chairs, and scholarships can be named after deserving figures without altering the institution’s foundational identity. Such gestures not only preserve the historical name of the institution but also contribute to its development in tangible ways.
The bastardization of academic institutions through politicized renaming is a symptom of a deeper malaise: the disregard for the sanctity of education in Nigeria. It is a distraction from the real issues, which are underfunding, brain drain, overcrowded lecture halls, and outdated curricula. Instead of investing in infrastructure, research grants, and staff welfare, politicians are rebranding campuses for vanity.
To safeguard the future of Nigerian education, a national policy must be enacted to prevent arbitrary name changes to public institutions without a comprehensive consultation process involving all stakeholders. Academic institutions must be protected from political interference, not just in nomenclature but also in governance and administration.
Until Nigerian leaders begin to see academic institutions as sacred grounds for learning rather than monuments for political memory, our universities will remain victims of ego-driven politics, disconnected from global academic progress.