11/04/2023
World
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Nigerians outraged over government spending plans as millions face hardship
By Nimi Princewill, CNN
5 minute read
Published 12:32 PM EDT, Fri November 3, 2023

Nigeria’s new President Bola Tinubu has asked citizens to endure hardships from economic reforms despite lavish spending by his government.
Emmanuel Osodi/AP
Abuja, NigeriaCNN —
Nigeria’s government has come under fire over a budget that included a 6 billion naira ($6.3 million) presidential yacht and luxury cars, as the country grapples with mounting debts and a cost-of-living crisis.
Lawmakers rejected the plans for a presidential yacht before approving the N2.1 trillion ($2.7 billion) supplementary budget on Thursday, following a public outcry. The money was allocated instead to a student loan program.
The budget still allocates funds for purchasing SUV vehicles for the presidency, amounting to N2.9 billion ($3.6 million), and to cover the cost of renovating the president’s residential quarters, estimated at N4 billion ($5 million).
It also includes official vehicles worth N1.5 billion ($1.9 million) for the First Lady’s Office, despite the fact that Nigerian laws do not formally recognize this office.
A ‘spending problem’
Nigerians, many of whom who are struggling to make ends meet, reacted in anger to the proposed budget, prompting the lawmakers to make changes.
“Nigerians are facing some of the harshest economic realities of their existence. It shows a remarkable lack of empathy for the President to spend so profligately at a time when soldiers fighting the war on terror are dying and should be better motivated to build morale, pensioners are being owed, civil servants take home pay can no longer take them home, and fuel and food inflation is approaching 30%,” said former presidential aide Reno Omokri in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Anti-corruption activist Yomi Ogunsanya told CNN the budget “insults the sensibility of Nigerians,”.
