How Gboyega Oyetola-Led Ministry Of Blue Economy Spent N835million On Six Official Vehicles

The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, led by former Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, spent N835.16 million on the procurement of six official and operational vehicles, according to government payment records reviewed by SaharaReporters.

The payment, valued at exactly N835,157,209.32, was made on December 21, 2025, to Kaura Motors Nigeria Limited by the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

The payment description stated that it was for the “supply of six (6) official/operational vehicles for the federal ministry of marine and blue economy.”

Based on the total amount paid, the ministry spent an average of about N139.2million on each of the six vehicles.

The payment is significant given the Federal Government’s repeated emphasis on reducing the cost of governance and cutting unnecessary government expenditure.

The expenditure also comes amid previous findings showing that the ministry made several payments running into hundreds of millions of naira for items including foreign travel allowances, air tickets, refreshments, hall rentals and honorariums.

A previous SaharaReporters’ review of the public payments portal, Govspend, showed that the ministry made a number of payments into private accounts between July 26 and October 23, 2024.

The payments included estacodes, air tickets and other allowances for officials of the ministry.

Estacodes are allowances paid to public officials to cover expenses incurred during official trips outside the country.

For instance, on July 26, 2024, N7.3 million was paid into the account of Olufemi Michael Oloruntola.

The payment was described as “40% estacode supplementation for study tour to royal Kingdom of Morocco.”

Oloruntola is the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Records showed that between July 26 and October 23, 2024, Oloruntola alone received about N76 million into his account in payments linked to air tickets, allowances and estacodes.

Similarly, another N10.4million was paid into the account of Sanya Sholabami Abosede on July 26, 2024.

The payment was described as “payment for 40% supplementation for the study tour to the Royal kingdom of Morocco.”

Abosede subsequently received about N76.4 million between July 26 and October 23, 2024, according to the payment records.

The payments came around the period of a trip undertaken by officials of the ministry to Morocco between July 29 and August 3, 2024.

The records further showed that Hafeez Babatunde Bombata, the Director of Marine Safety and Security at the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, received about N43 million into his personal account between August 13 and October 23, 2024.

The payments raise questions about the handling of public funds, particularly where government money is paid into the personal accounts of public officials.

Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009 contain provisions on the handling of public funds.

Chapter Seven, Section 713 of the regulations states: “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account.”

The regulation is designed to ensure that public funds are properly controlled, accounted for and disbursed through authorised government channels.

Against this backdrop, the N835.16 million payment for six official vehicles represents another major expenditure by the ministry.

The December 21, 2025 payment to Kaura Motors Nigeria Limited was specifically described as being for the supply of six official and operational vehicles.

At N835.16 million, the average cost of each vehicle works out to approximately N139.19 million.

The size of the expenditure raises questions about the ministry’s spending priorities, particularly at a time when the Federal Government has repeatedly spoken about reducing the cost of governance.

The Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy was established to coordinate government policies and programmes in the maritime sector and harness Nigeria’s marine resources for economic development.

The ministry oversees areas including maritime transportation, shipping, marine safety and security and other activities connected to Nigeria’s blue economy.

The N835.16 million vehicle expenditure therefore provides another area requiring public scrutiny, particularly regarding the procurement process, vehicle specifications, approval procedures, delivery and value for money.

Credit: https://saharareporters.com/2026/09/07/how-gboyega-oyetola-led-ministry-blue-economy-spent-n835million-six-official-vehicles