2025 Budget: Katsina earmarks N2.3bn for Governor’s travels amid water and sanitation crisis

By Aminu Abubakar

A review of the Katsina State 2025 budget by SolaceBase has revealed that a total of N940 million has been allocated for fueling motor vehicles at the Government House and the Deputy Governor’s Office in the 2025 fiscal year.

The Government House is earmarked to spend N840 million on fueling motor vehicles, while the Deputy Governor’s Office will spend N100 million for the same purpose.

Governor’s Travel Expenses Hit N2.3 Billion

Read Also:SolaceBase Data: Amid health challenges, Kano suffers from poor health budget execution

The review further reveals significant allocations for travel expenses in 2025. The governor’s local transport and travel will cost N1.7 billion, while international travels are set to cost N650 million, bringing the total to N2.3 billion. Similarly, the deputy governor will spend N170 million on local travels and N150 million on international travels.

Other Notable Government House Expenses

The Government House is also set to spend N1 billion on cleaning services. Additionally, N250 million has been allocated for refreshments and meals.

Water and Sanitation Funding Lags Behind

Despite these hefty allocations for travel, fueling, and government house expenses, the capital expenditure budget for the Katsina State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency stands at just N2.2 billion—an amount lower than the governor’s total travel expenses. This comes despite reports from the National Bureau of Statistics indicating that 61% of households in Katsina lack access to sanitary facilities, while 39% are deprived of clean drinking water.

Read Also:Kebbi State’s 2025 Budget: Big plans, revenue challenges

Cholera Outbreaks and Public Health Concerns

Katsina State has faced multiple cholera outbreaks in recent years due to poor water and sanitation conditions. In July 2024, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reported 118 suspected cholera cases in the state.

In 2021, a severe outbreak resulted in 1,534 cases and 75 deaths across 25 local government areas.

The outbreak began on May 5, 2021, in the Funtua Local Government Area and spread rapidly. According to the State Commissioner of Health, Engineer Yakubu Danja, 67% of cases were among individuals aged 15 and above, while 53% were male. In 2022, Katsina was among the states with the highest cholera cases, recording 1,632 cases, making it the third-worst-hit state in Nigeria.

Budget Priorities Questioned Amid Public Health Crisis

Given Katsina’s water and sanitation crisis and repeated cholera outbreaks, critics argue that the state’s 2025 budget priorities raise concerns. While billions are allocated for government travel and vehicle fueling, essential services such as clean water and sanitation remain underfunded. With cholera outbreaks persisting and thousands at risk due to inadequate sanitation, there are concerns over the priority spending of states, including Katsina.