The U.S. government on Tuesday decried financial irresponsibility by Nigerian leaders, President Bola Tinubu and governors, saying it fuels “inequality and erodes public trust.”

In a post on X tagged “#TransparencyTuesday,” the U.S. Mission in Nigeria cited reports on the government at the federal and state levels spending billions on palatial residences while Nigerians suffer untold hardships.

“While Nigerians are urged to endure economic hardship ‘like labour pains,’ some governors are splurging billions on new government houses,” the U.S. government stated, amplifying a report by TheAfricaReport.

It also cited reports by the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Nigerian civic tech organisation BudgIT, corroborating findings by TheAfricaReport.

The U.S. government said, “BudgITng warns that ‘instead of funding schools, clinics, or agriculture, leaders prioritise buildings they barely use.’”

Also, it quoted CISLAC as saying, “There is more money, little accountability, and no priority.”

Highlighting the aforementioned positions by the civic groups, the U.S. government concluded that “such alleged lack of fiscal responsibility fuels inequality and erodes public trust.”

Since Mr Tinubu assumed office, he has spent N20 billion on building a residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima and acquiring a new presidential jet, as Nigerians continue to grapple with the effects of his economic policies. However, he has continued to urge citizens to endure the hardship.

Mr Tinubu’s dual policies of fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification have led to a significant increase in fuel prices, from N145 to over N1,000 and later to about N900, while the naira has collapsed from about N700 to a dollar to over N1,500 to a dollar.

With inflation at 23.7 per cent, a drop from 34 per cent after rebasing the economy, under Mr Tinubu, Nigeria recorded the largest increase in acute food insecurity globally in 2024, according to the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises published by the Global Network Against Food Crises in collaboration with the Food Security Information Network and UNICEF.

The International Monetary Fund reported that poverty and food insecurity remained high under Mr Tinubu, while the World Bank’s Africa Pulse report of April 2025 also stated that Nigeria, under Mr Tinubu, has the highest number of extremely poor people globally, warning that more Nigerians will be plunged into poverty by 2027.