Governors Spend ₦986.64 Billion on Refreshments and Other Recurrent Costs in Three Months

In the first three months of 2024, at least 30 state governments in Nigeria collectively spent ₦986.64 billion on recurrent expenditures. These expenditures included costs for refreshments, sitting allowances, travel, utilities, and other operational expenses.

Data sourced from Open Nigerian States, a platform supported by BudgIT that compiles public budget information, revealed the budget implementation reports for the first quarter of the year. However, data for six states—Benue, Imo, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto, and Yobe—were unavailable.

The analysis showed that the 30 states spent ₦5.1 billion on refreshments for guests, ₦4.67 billion on sitting allowances for government officials, ₦34.63 billion on travel expenses (both local and foreign), and ₦5.64 billion on utility bills, totaling ₦50.02 billion in recurrent expenditures for the first quarter of 2024. Utilities covered a range of services including electricity, internet, telephone charges, water rates, and sewerage charges.

In addition, the states paid a combined ₦405.77 billion in salaries to their employees. Other recurrent expenses included foreign and domestic travel, internet fees, entertainment, food, honorarium/sitting allowances, wardrobe allowances, telephone bills, electricity charges, stationery, anniversaries/special days, welfare, and aircraft maintenance.

During this period, specific states’ expenditures were highlighted:

– Abia State spent ₦10.92 billion on recurrent expenditures, including ₦165.38 million on refreshments and feeding, ₦39.26 million on utilities, ₦214.57 million on sitting allowances, and ₦127.1 million on travel.
– Adamawa State’s recurrent expenditures amounted to ₦23.7 billion, with ₦287.61 million on refreshments, ₦109.62 million on utilities, ₦79.57 million on sitting allowances, and ₦768.77 million on travel.
– Akwa Ibom State spent ₦46.85 billion, which included ₦4.46 million on refreshments, ₦223.32 million on utilities, ₦6 million on sitting allowances, and ₦214.61 million on travel.
– Anambra State allocated ₦9.91 billion for recurring expenses, with ₦78.18 million on refreshments, ₦32.52 million on utilities, ₦42.09 million on sitting allowances, and ₦188.39 million on travel.
– Bauchi State’s recurrent expenditures totaled ₦35.75 billion, with ₦397.58 million on utilities, ₦50.8 million on refreshments, ₦287.11 million on allowances, and ₦413.56 million on travel.
– Bayelsa State spent ₦35.1 billion on recurrent expenditures, including ₦28.4 million on utilities, ₦156.14 million on refreshments, and ₦279.99 million on travel.
– Lagos State disbursed ₦189.62 billion for recurrent expenditures, including ₦1.21 million for refreshments, ₦383.12 million for utilities, ₦52.79 million for sitting allowances, and ₦633.37 million on travel.

• Other states’ expenditures included:
• Borno: ₦18.79 billion
• – Cross River: ₦17.44 billion
• – Delta: ₦68.68 billion
• – Ebonyi: ₦14.95 billion
• – Edo: ₦32.32 billion
• – Ekiti: ₦32.8 billion
• – Enugu: ₦7.51 billion
• – Gombe: ₦20.89 billion
• – Jigawa: ₦15.52 billion
• – Kaduna: ₦34.69 billion
• – Kano: ₦34.41 billion
• – Katsina: ₦21.87 billion
• – Kebbi: ₦11.67 billion
• – Kogi: ₦37.4 billion
• – Kwara: ₦24.34 billion
• – Nasarawa: ₦18.61 billion
• – Ogun: ₦47.12 billion
• – Ondo: ₦31.12 billion
• – Osun: ₦24.39 billion
• – Oyo: ₦40.12 billion
• – Plateau: ₦24.70 billion
• – Zamfara: ₦13.46 billion
• – Taraba: ₦20.93 billion