The allocation of substantial resources to very important persons (VIP) protection services in Nigeria calls attention to several concerning issues, especially in terms of security, cost of governance, and resource management.
Development Diaries reports that Nigeria spends at least N131 billion annually on salaries for police officers designated as escorts for VIPs, a demographic that constitutes a mere 1.09 percent of the population, as reported by The Guardian.
This is an alarming development, given the nation’s high inflation, insecurity, and protracted petroleum crisis. These finding goes further to expose deeper governance flaws.
Additionally, it is understood that Nigeria currently allocates 150,000 out of its 370,800 police officers to protect VIPs, representing over 40 percent of the entire police force.
This leaves fewer officers available to address the country’s broader security challenges, which include banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, and rising crime rates.
Given the scale of these issues, the misallocation of police resources severely undermines public safety.
According to data from Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, 94 security incidents involving non-state actors were recorded across 25 states in Nigeria, four months into 2024, leaving over 130 women and men as victims.
According to its Nigeria Violent Conflict Monthly Bulletin May 2024 edition, the most unstable state is Zamfara, where there were 12 reported banditry occurrences resulting in 69 injuries (five injured and 64 dead) as well as seven victims of kidnapping in the period under review.
This data reiterates the fact that ordinary citizens are more vulnerable as a result of the lack of officers devoted to national security, especially those who live in rural areas with low police presence and high rates of insecurity.
Furthermore, the vast sums allocated to VIP security highlight the cost inefficiency in Nigeria’s governance structure. The annual expenditure of N131 billion on VIP police escorts does not include other related costs, such as vehicles, fuel, maintenance, and allowances, further ballooning the cost of governance.
In a country where the minimum wage is still N30,000 (subject to when the new minimum wage is implemented), the government prioritising the security of a privileged few more than the general welfare of the populace reflects fiscal irresponsibility.
With millions of Nigerians facing economic hardship, growing unemployment, and underfunded social services, the government’s allocation of substantial resources to VIP security is difficult to justify.
While security for public officials and influential figures is important, the scale of resource allocation in this case is disproportionate, reflecting poor decision-making and wasteful expenditure.
This further widens the trust gap between citizens and the government. The trust gap widens when citizens see scarce national resources being spent on the privileged few while their security concerns and livelihoods are neglected.
Development Diaries calls on the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to begin reforms in security allocation, ensure better fiscal discipline, and a renewed focus on citizen welfare, all of which are critical to restoring public trust in the government.
