The Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu amid growing public criticism over the cost of governance and the lifestyle of government officials.

Adedeji made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where presenter Seun Okinbaloye questioned whether government officials were living too lavishly at a time many Nigerians are struggling with economic hardship.

The NRS chairman argued that President Tinubu’s personal lifestyle does not reflect the perception of excessive government spending.

According to Adedeji, the President often travels between his residence and office without the elaborate convoy Nigerians typically associate with the office of the president.

“Mr. President goes from home to office on foot, not even driving. I don’t know except he’s going to the airport, so I don’t know where you see the convoy.”

Adedeji further claimed that Tinubu had not travelled outside Nigeria in the preceding three months.

“In the last three months, he has not even left the shore of this country,” he said.

He added that the President spends much of his time working, saying Tinubu could still be found reviewing official documents at the office.

‘How Much Is Escalade That the President Cannot Afford?’

The NRS chairman also questioned the argument that the President’s official lifestyle necessarily represents excessive personal spending.

He asked how much the cost of a luxury vehicle such as a Cadillac Escalade would matter to a president, given Tinubu’s personal financial capacity.

“How much is Escalade that the president of Nigeria cannot afford?”

Adedeji’s comments came as he defended the use of government aircraft for presidential movements, questioning whether the President should be expected to travel like an ordinary commercial passenger.

Cost of Governance Debate Goes Beyond Tinubu

However, Okinbaloye pointed out that the debate about Nigeria’s cost of governance is broader than President Tinubu’s personal lifestyle.

The presenter noted that concerns also involve the spending associated with ministers, heads of government agencies and other public officials.

Adedeji responded that government expenditure should not automatically be viewed as waste, arguing that government spending also circulates through the economy.

According to him, government is both a source of expenditure and revenue generation.

“Government is both debit and credit,” Adedeji said.

He explained that government spending can create business opportunities for companies and individuals who provide goods and services to the government.

Those businesses, he argued, subsequently contribute to government revenue through taxation.

Nigerians Continue to Debate Cost of Governance

The comments come amid continuing debate over Nigeria’s cost of governance, public spending and the economic pressure facing households and businesses.

Critics of government spending have continued to call for greater accountability and reductions in expenditure, particularly at a time when Nigerians are dealing with high living costs.

Government officials, however, have repeatedly argued that public expenditure must be viewed within the broader context of economic activity, government operations and revenue generation.

Adedeji’s latest comments are therefore likely to reignite debate over whether Nigeria’s biggest challenge is the personal lifestyle of individual political office holders or the broader structure and cost of running government.

For many Nigerians, the question remains whether government spending is producing enough value and economic benefits to justify its cost.

What do you think? Is Nigeria’s cost-of-governance problem about the lifestyle of individual leaders or the wider structure of government spending?

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