By Abidemi Adebamiwa
Nigeria is carrying a load that no nation can move with. The biggest obstacle holding the country back is the high and unnecessary cost of running government. It is a cost so heavy and so unreasonable that development becomes almost impossible.
In the past few weeks, I went through the budgets of a few states. I wanted to understand how public money is being used. What I saw was troubling. Many items were vague. Some were wrapped in language that hides more than it reveals.
Others were so broad that they could swallow anything. When someone who truly wants to understand the budget cannot explain many of the items, it shows a system built to protect waste, not to encourage accountability.
And that waste shows up clearly in the lifestyle of the political class. Our lawmakers stand out the most. They earn figures that do not match the condition of the economy. They enjoy perks that lawmakers in richer and more productive nations do not insist on.
Their lifestyle sets a tone across government. Commissioners want the comfort of governors. Directors want the comfort of commissioners. Even local officials expect privileges that do not match the reality of a struggling country.
The contrast becomes even sharper when I think about the public officials I know in the United States. These are people with serious responsibilities, yet they live quietly.
Their humility is so real that anyone who sees them would think they should be the assistants to our lawmakers, not high level decision makers in the US system. Their lives make public service feel like service, not elevation.
My personal experiences confirm this difference. I once sat in the same room with one of the most powerful American senators and a group of top diplomats.
There was no noisy security presence. No blocked passageways. No show of force. The senator walked in calmly, spoke, interacted, and left. The simplicity made the office feel stronger, not weaker.
This is what makes Nigeria’s situation painful. We copied the presidential system from the United States but ignored the discipline that makes it work.
The US spends in proportion to its economy. It has a productive base and a strong tax culture. It funds its government from within. There is no constant search for loans to pay salaries and buy cars. Their system is expensive because their economy is rich. Nigeria’s economy is weak, yet our government behaves like a wealthy empire.
The results are obvious. Schools collapse. Hospitals lack basic tools. Communities struggle with security. Young people search for opportunities that are fading. Businesses fight daily with electricity. Many spend more on generators than on growth.
A small shop struggles to keep a freezer running. A factory fears expansion because the power bill alone can swallow profits. The state is too focused on feeding itself to fix the problems that would grow the economy.
No country can progress when its leaders consume more than they contribute. A government that spends more on itself than on its citizens cannot deliver development.
Nigeria needs a simpler and more honest culture of public service. Government size must drop. Wasteful agencies must be removed. Political appointments should be fewer.
Lawmakers should earn salaries that reflect the true state of the economy. Public funds should go into power, education, health, security, roads, jobs, and technology. Leaders should live modestly to show they understand the daily struggles of the people.
A country that pours more into the comfort of its officials than into the future of its citizens has made a choice that can only lead to stagnation, frustration, and disappointment.
Abidemi is a policy analyst and the Managing Editor @ Newspot Nigeria.