The Lagos State House of Assembly has earmarked ₦6.2 billion in its 2025 budget to purchase 40 residential properties in Lagos or Abuja, effectively allocating a ₦155 million home to each legislator.
According to the state’s second-quarter budget performance report, ₦1 billion (16.1% of the total) had already been disbursed by June.
With 40 members in the Assembly, the expenditure appears to serve as a parting gift for outgoing lawmakers.
This housing provision has become a recurring feature in recent budgets. In 2024, the allocation surged from ₦1.22 billion to ₦6.2 billion, though only ₦126 million was spent.
In contrast, 2023 saw ₦1.131 billion of the ₦1.22 billion budget utilized, over 92%, mostly before year-end. The report does not clarify whether those purchases benefited members of the ninth Assembly, which concluded that year.
Legal ambiguity surrounds the initiative. Section 124(5) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution allows state assemblies to legislate pensions for governors and their deputies, but does not extend such privileges to legislators.
The move echoes similar controversies in other states. In 2019, Bayelsa’s then-Governor Seriake Dickson rejected a bill proposing lifetime pensions for lawmakers, citing constitutional limits.
More recently, Abia and Benue States repealed generous pension laws for former governors, signaling a shift away from entrenched political perks.
Lagos has had its own mixed record. In 2021, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu vowed to repeal the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension) Law, which guaranteed benefits for ex-governors and deputies.
However, the Assembly later opted to reduce those entitlements by half rather than eliminate them.
The latest budget allocation has reignited debate over retirement benefits for state legislators, with critics questioning both its legality and timing.
