Niger State Govt Spends N2.7Billion On Honorarium, Sitting Allowances, Releases Only N50Million For Water Projects In Six Months

The Niger State Government spent more than N2.69 billion on honorarium and sitting allowances during the first six months of 2026, while allocating only N50 million to the construction of water facilities and nothing to the rehabilitation of existing water infrastructure, according to an analysis of the state’s 2026 Second Quarter Budget Implementation Report.

The budget performance report shows that the state recorded a year-to-date expenditure of N2,694,832,210.36 (N2.69 billion) under the “Honorarium & Sitting Allowance” budget line between January and June 2026. The expenditure represents 14.4 per cent of the N18.75 billion earmarked for the item in the 2026 budget.

In contrast, the government budgeted N22.93 billion for the construction and provision of water facilities but released only N50 million during the six-month period. This amounted to just 0.2 per cent implementation, leaving an unspent balance of N22.88 billion.

The report further revealed that the state made no expenditure whatsoever on the rehabilitation and repair of water facilities despite making a budgetary provision of N2.95 billion for the purpose. The budget implementation for the item stood at zero per cent as of the end of the second quarter.

The figures indicate that the government spent more than 53 times the amount released for new water infrastructure on honorarium and sitting allowances within the same period.

The budget implementation report also showed that total recurrent expenditure under “Expenses General” stood at N15.19 billion against an annual budget of N72.69 billion, representing 20.9 per cent implementation.

Apart from honorarium, several administrative expenditure items also recorded significant spending during the first half of the year.

The government spent N5.91 billion on subscriptions to professional bodies, representing 62.2 per cent of the N9.50 billion budgeted for the item, making it one of the fastest-implemented recurrent expenditure categories.

Welfare packages accounted for another N3.76 billion in spending, representing 21.9 per cent of the N17.15 billion appropriated, while N1.25 billion was spent on local medical expenses out of the N12.50 billion budgeted for the year.

Similarly, N918.66 million was expended on publicity and advertisements, while refreshments and meals accounted for N406.96 million during the six-month period.

The report also showed expenditures of N110.16 million on postages and courier services, N79.69 million on foreign scholarship schemes, N45.21 million on sporting activities, N11.17 million on special days and celebrations, and N300,000 on direct teaching and laboratory costs.

Meanwhile, the state’s capital expenditure performance reflected a similar trend in the infrastructure sector.

Out of a capital budget of N783.69 billion, the government recorded year-to-date spending of N151.23 billion, representing 19.3 per cent implementation.

Within the capital budget, N106.75 billion was spent on the construction and provision of fixed assets, equivalent to 21.6 per cent of the N494.88 billion allocated for the category.

Office building construction also recorded N8.59 billion in expenditure, while hospital and health centre construction received N1.69 billion.

Agricultural facilities attracted N1.17 billion, representing just 2.5 per cent of the N46.60 billion allocation, while electricity projects received N1.15 billion from a budget of N12.62 billion.

Several other critical infrastructure projects recorded no spending at all during the first half of the year.

These included the construction of residential buildings, public schools, firefighting stations, libraries, sporting facilities, waterways, markets and parks, ICT infrastructure, recreational facilities, boundary pillars and power-generating plants, among others.

The report also showed that rehabilitation of public schools recorded only N450 million in spending out of a budget of N20.34 billion, representing 2.2 per cent implementation.

Similarly, rehabilitation of agricultural facilities received N2.26 billion, while repairs of hospitals and health centres stood at N4.52 billion.

However, no funds were released for the rehabilitation of housing, libraries, recreational facilities and, notably, water facilities.

The budget implementation report further indicated that the state spent N26.72 billion on public debt charges during the first six months of the year. This included N11.76 billion on domestic interest payments, N8.27 billion on domestic principal repayments, N4.35 billion on foreign principal and N2.34 billion on foreign interest obligations.

The expenditure pattern suggests that while substantial resources were committed to administrative costs, debt servicing and road infrastructure, water infrastructure received minimal attention despite significant budgetary allocations.

With only N50 million spent on constructing water facilities and zero expenditure on rehabilitating existing water infrastructure midway into the fiscal year, the implementation report raises questions about the pace of investment in a sector considered essential for improving access to potable water and public health across Niger State.

Previously, SaharaReporters reported that Niger State, located in Nigeria’s North Central region, had for years grappled with inadequate access to clean drinking water, leaving many residents exposed to waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea.

In some communities, residents have been forced to share water sources with livestock, including cows, due to the lack of potable water.

The report also detailed how the state government failed to fund the Bi-water scheme, an initiative designed to provide safe drinking water to rural and semi-urban communities.

The 2025 Niger State budget earmarked ₦1.4 billion for the rehabilitation of nine Bi-water schemes across the state. However, budget performance records show that no funds were released or spent on the project between January and September 2025.

Similarly, although the state allocated ₦125 million for the purchase of tools and equipment for Bi-water schemes in the 2025 fiscal year, budget performance documents indicate that no expenditure was recorded under the item during the first nine months of the year.

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