Despite grappling with pressing development challenges, including a lack of clean drinking water and inadequate health facilities, at least 10 Nigerian states have been found to spend significant public funds on lavish items like refreshments, sitting allowances, and honorariums.
A recent report by Chronicles Reporters reveals that between January and September 2024, these states spent a combined N14.7 billion on non-essential expenses. In Katsina State, for instance, N335.6 million was spent on refreshments and meals, while sitting allowances totaled N78.2 million during the same period. Similarly, in Bayelsa State, N334 million went toward refreshments, while a staggering N689.5 million was spent on honorariums and sitting allowances, amounting to a total of N1 billion for these expenditures.
Other states have reported similar patterns of extravagant spending. Osun State allocated N527 million for refreshments and meals, with N764.3 million spent on sitting allowances, totaling N1.291 billion. Ondo State spent N350.4 million on refreshments and N111 million on sitting allowances, bringing their total to N461 million. Niger State spent N3.351 billion, while Plateau State’s expenditures amounted to N2.7 billion. Adamawa, Bauchi, Kogi, and Zamfara also reported millions spent on these items, with Kogi’s total reaching N2.6 billion.
What Could These Funds Have Done for Development?
In Osun State, where poor public water supply has been a concern, a portion of the N1.291 billion spent on refreshments and allowances could have significantly improved water access. If 50% of this amount, approximately N645.5 million, were redirected towards water provision, it would have quadrupled the state’s budget for the water corporation’s capital expenditure, which stood at just N122 million.
Ondo State faces similar challenges, especially with its rural water supply. The state budgeted N470.4 million for drilling boreholes but spent only N15 million as of September 2024. If 50% of its spending on refreshments and honorariums had been used for this purpose, it could have spent N252 million, greatly improving water access. Notably, only 38% of households in Ondo have access to potable water, a situation that has led to ongoing concerns about cholera outbreaks.
Plateau State, which spent N2.7 billion on allowances and refreshments, could have used 50% of that amount (around N1.35 billion) to significantly improve water infrastructure or capital expenditure at its state university, which only managed to utilize 23.6% of its N2 billion capital expenditure allocation.
Lavish Spending Amidst Growing Debt and Poor Infrastructure
Despite numerous states lamenting budget shortfalls and domestic debt, their spending habits remain questionable. For instance, as of June 2024, Bauchi owed N147 billion, Plateau N101 billion, and Adamawa N102.9 billion in domestic debt. However, these states continue to allocate funds to non-essential areas. Plateau, for example, has already spent N81.7 million of its N262 million budget for special days and celebrations. Similarly, Bauchi has spent N209 million on renovating government guest houses and N106 million on vehicles for state officials.
Zamfara, despite having a budget of N305.8 million for special days, spent N580 million in the same category between January and September 2024. The state also allocated N4.5 billion for food and catering, spending N804.5 million in just nine months.
These expenditures reflect a broader trend across Nigerian states where, despite critical infrastructure needs, lavish spending continues, leaving residents to suffer from poverty, unemployment, and lack of basic services.
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