Tinubu Administration Budgets N164 Million for Tyres Amid Economic Strain
Revelation comes after N366 million tyre expenditure in 2024, raising fiscal responsibility questions
Abuja, Nigeria – The State House under President Bola Tinubu has allocated N164 million for tyre purchases in its 2025 budget, documents reveal, continuing a pattern of heavy spending on vehicle maintenance despite Nigeria’s economic challenges. The allocation follows last year’s N366 million tyre expenditure within just three days.
Budget Breakdown
The 2025 provision covers tyres for:
✔ Security vehicles: Bulletproof cars, operational fleet
✔ Support vehicles: Ambulances, platform trucks
✔ Convoy vehicles: Jeeps, CCU units, plain cars
This mirrors 2024’s spending pattern where:
- N42.8 million was spent on June 22, 2023
- N86.2 million followed two days later
- N238 million went to armoured tyres in May 2024
Travel Expenditures Compound Concerns
The tyre costs coincide with other controversial allocations:
- N6.1 billion for presidential international travel
- N873 million for domestic trips
- VP Shettima’s N1.3 billion travel budget
“These figures are jarring when 63% of Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty,” said Fiscal Policy Analyst Zainab Ahmed. “Where’s the austerity promised during the fuel subsidy removal?”
Defending the Costs
State House sources argue the expenditures are necessary:
- Security protocols demand frequent tyre replacements for bulletproof vehicles
- Poor road conditions accelerate wear-and-tear
- Fleet expansion to accommodate new operational needs
However, transparency advocates note:
- No public tenders announced for tyre procurements
- Discrepancies between payment dates (2023/2024) and budget years
- Lack of detailed mileage/usage reports
Broader Implications
The revelations come as:
- Inflation hits 31.7% (February 2025)
- Naira trades at N1,520/$ on parallel markets
- Citizens endure 16-hour daily power outages
“This isn’t about tyres—it’s about prioritization,” argued SERAP Director Adetokunbo Mumuni, whose NGO plans legal action for expenditure transparency.
