Report: 30 State Governors Spend N968.64bn on Refreshments, Travel, Others in Q1 2024

No fewer than 30 state governments in Nigeria spent a staggering N968.64 billion on recurrent expenditures in the first quarter of 2024, according to data from Open Nigerian States, a budget transparency platform supported by BudgIT. The expenditures covered a range of items, including refreshments, sitting allowances, travel, and utilities.

The budget implementation reports for the 30 states, which exclude Benue, Imo, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto, and Yobe due to unavailable data, revealed significant spending on non-essential items. The analysis showed that N5.1 billion was spent on refreshments, N4.67 billion on sitting allowances, N34.63 billion on travel, and N5.64 billion on utilities.

Salaries accounted for a substantial portion, with N405.77 billion paid to state workers. Other expenses included Internet fees, entertainment, food, wardrobe allowances, telephone bills, electricity, stationery, and maintenance of government aircraft.

A closer look at individual states’ spending revealed substantial variances. Abia State, for instance, spent N10.92 billion on recurrent expenditures, while Lagos State disbursed N189.62 billion, including N1.21 billion for refreshments alone.

Several states’ recurrent expenditure figures were particularly high: Akwa Ibom spent N46.85 billion, Delta N68.68 billion, and Ogun N47.12 billion.

These figures have sparked criticism amid Nigeria’s economic challenges. Financial experts argue that excessive spending on recurrent items detracts from much-needed investments in infrastructure and development.

Aliyu Ilias, a development economist, emphasized the need for states to attract foreign investment by leveraging their unique resources. He suggested that states like Bayelsa, rich in oil, should develop policies to attract investors and organize economic summits.

Professor Akpan Ekpo, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, urged states to improve service delivery to boost revenue. Meanwhile, Professor Segun Ajibola of Babcock University highlighted the lack of accountability and oversight at the state level, resulting in high governance costs with minimal benefits for citizens.