Nigerian Governors Spent Over N900 Billion on Refreshments, Travels in 3 Months

In the first quarter of 2024, thirty state governments in Nigeria reported significant spending on various recurrent expenditures totaling N968.64 billion.

The amount was spent on refreshments, extensive travel expenses to utilities, data sourced from Open Nigerian States, a public budget data repository owned by BudgIT, reveals.

The states considered in this article exclude Benue, Imo, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto and Yobe States as the Q1 data for the states were not available.

State expenditures

The report reveals states collectively spent N5.1 billion on refreshments for guests and N4.67 billion on sitting allowances for government officials.

Local and foreign travel expenses took the largest share, amounting to N34.63 billion.

Utility bills, which include costs for electricity, internet, and water services, summed up to N5.64 billion.  Additionally, states disbursed N405.77 billion on salaries for state workers.

Spending per state

Abia State: Total spending of N10.92 billion included N165.38 million
on refreshments and feeding, N214.57 million on sitting allowances, N127.1
million on travel, and N39.26 million on utilities.

Adamawa State: Total expenditures of N23.7 billion with
N287.61 million spent on refreshments and feeding, N79.57 million on sitting
allowances, N768.77 million on travel, and N109.62 million on utilities.

Akwa Ibom State: Spent N46.85 billion in total, including
N4.46 million on refreshments and feeding, N6 million on sitting allowances,
N214.61 million on travel, and N223.32 million on utilities.

Anambra State: N9.91 billion spent in total, with N78.18
million on refreshments and feeding, N42.09 million on sitting allowances,
N188.39 million on travel, and N32.52 million on utilities.

Bauchi State: N35.75 billion total expenditures, with
N50.8 million on refreshments, N287.11 million on allowances, N413.56 million
on trips, and N397.58 million on utilities.

Bayelsa State: Total spending of N35.1 billion, with
N156.14 million on refreshments, N279.99 million on trips, and N28.4 million on
utilities.

Lagos State: N189.62 billion total expenditures, with
N1.21 million on refreshments, N52.79 million on sitting allowances, N633.37
million on travel, and N383.12 million on utilities.

Borno State: Spent N18.79

Cross River State: N17.44 billion

Delta State: N68.68 billion

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Ebonyi State: N14.95 billion

Edo State: N32.32 billion

Ekiti State: N32.8 billion

Enugu State: N7.51 billion

Gombe State: N20.89 billion

Jigawa State: N15.52 billion

Kaduna State: N34.69 billion

Kano State: N34.41 billion

Katsina State: N21.87 billion

Kebbi State: N11.67 billion

Kogi State: N37.4 billion

Kwara State: N24.34 billion

Nasarawa State: N18.61 billion

Ogun State: N47.12 billion

Ondo State: N31.12 billion

Osun State: N24.39 billion

Oyo State: N40.12 billion

Plateau State: N24.70 billion

Zamfara State: N13.46 billion

Taraba State: N20.93 billion

Concerns over Government spending

These figures reveal significant disparities in spending priorities across the states, with substantial amounts allocated to refreshments, travel, and utilities.

Amidst a backdrop of economic challenges, experts urge states to reevaluate their spending habits and focus on strategic investments that can drive sustainable growth and improve public services.

Segun Ajibola, a Professor of Economics at Babcock University, who spoke to Punch, criticised the enduring high cost of governance and the scant oversight and accountability at the state level.

Ajibola emphasised the critical role of state assemblies in overseeing government expenditures, which is often overlooked, allowing governors excessive freedom to incur high costs without adequate checks.

“Only a few states can boast a significant presence in the lives of their people. The state assemblies are expected to conduct oversight functions, but in reality, how many states are doing that?” he questioned.

Aliyu Ilias, a development economist, also highlighted that many states lack the development and marketing needed to attract significant investments.

He advised, “Going forward, what they could do is identify one area of strength. For instance, Bayelsa has oil and should be able to attract investments.

“They should also create an attraction and develop an economic summit that will make sure they showcase and attract investors.”