The Federal Government spent close to N7 billion as payment to contractors for diesel supply and related services between January 2025 and March 2026, with security agencies accounting for the largest share, an analysis has shown.

The data shows that while N5.88 billion was paid in 2025, N1.1 billion had been spent in the first three months of 2026.

The transactions, uploaded on Govspend, concentrated among security agencies, a development that shows that more taxpayers’ funds are going into security despite rising insecurity.

Although the transactions did not cover a lot of government agencies, at the forefront of spending are police formations and commands, which accounted for over N1.5 billion in the wider dataset, making them the single largest spending entity.

Other major security agencies include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which spent over N516.4 million, and the Nigeria Correctional Service, with N361.2 million.

Combined, the three agencies accounted for over N2.2 billion, showing the scale of public funds channelled into law enforcement and custodial services.

A closer review of 32 diesel procurement transactions between February 23 and March 30, 2026, shows that over N1.1 billion was disbursed to private vendors across 19 federal agencies within just five weeks.

The payments cut across institutions, ranging from Federal Medical Centres and polytechnics to security agencies and the Voice of Nigeria (VON).

However, diesel procurement remains a critical and recurring expense for public institutions, many of which depend on generators due to unreliable electricity supply.