SolaceBase Data: How Kwara state expend more on foodstuffs, refreshments than critical capital needs

By Dare Toba

In this report, SolaceBase examines the expenditure of Kwara state on refreshments and foodstuffs in relation to other critical capital needs of the state.

In the first three months of 2024, the capital expenditure for the Ministry of Energy stood at N28 million while the expenditure for foodstuffs and refreshments by the state was N97 million.

This would mean that the state spent more on foodstuffs and refreshments than capital needs for the energy ministry.

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In the same vein, nothing was spent (that is Zero naira) by the ministry of Solid Minerals Development in the first three months as capital expenditure.

The Water Resources Ministry spent N18 million on its capital needs in the first three months of 2024, meaning that more was spent on foodstuffs and refreshments than capital projects around water by the state.

The Ministry of Environment only spent N5 million on developmental projects while N97 million was spent on foodstuffs and refreshments

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The Kwara state government has spent the equivalent of 39% of its expenditure on tertiary education for foodstuffs and refreshments in 2023.

In 2023, the state spent N1 billion on capital needs tertiary education and spent N391 million on foodstuffs and refreshments.

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The state also spent N528 million on social development capital needs, meaning its expenses on foodstuffs and refreshments is 74% of its capital expenditure on social development.

In 2022, foodstuffs and refreshments gulped N266 million.

The Ministry of Water Resources spent N294 million on its capital needs in the same period, meaning that only N28 million was spent more on water resources than refreshments and foodstuffs.

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Similarly, capital expenditure for youth development stood at N8 million.

The Ministry of Social Development spent only N1 million on capital needs, per data from the budget performance reports of the state in 2022.