Katsina spends N1.8b on foodstuffs as against N390m on rural water supply agency capital expenditure
By Aminu Abubakar
A review of the 2024 budget performance document for the full year by SolaceBase has shown that a sum of N1.8 billion was spent on foodstuffs and catering materials supplied by Katsina State last year.
Katsina state earlier budgeted the sum of N2.2 billion for foodstuffs and catering materials supply for the 2024 full year.
Between October and December 2024, representing a three-month period, the state spent N666 million on foodstuffs and catering materials supply.
The sum of N1.861 billion spent for the whole year on foodstuffs and catering materials supply for the full year 2024, would mean that N155 million was spent on foodstuffs on average every month by Katsina State.
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While the state spent N1.8 billion on foodstuffs and catering materials supply, it spent N40 million on the capital expenditure of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, N410 million was spent on the capital expenditure of the state primary healthcare board.
Despite the percentage of out-of-school children reported in Katsina state, the state universal basic education board capital expenditure stood at N1.408 billion which is lesser than the expenditure on foodstuffs and catering materials supply.
Already 38% of children who are of school age are said to lack access to education in Katsina State.
The capital expenditure for the Katsina State rural water supply and sanitation agency stood at N390.3 million, an expenditure lesser than the N1.8 billion spent on foodstuffs and catering materials supply.
Already, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, there are 61% of households with lack of access to sanitary facilities in Katsina State and another 39% lack access to clean drinking water.
Data published by the National Bureau of Statistics show that there are 2.8 million poor persons in Katsina State.
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Historically, Katsina also suffers from the challenge of poor access to potable water. This has resulted in challenges such as deaths from Cholera.
For instance, in July 2024, it was reported that over 118 suspected cases were reported in Katsina in one month.
It was reported in July 2024, that two persons died from the outbreak in Katsina and Dutsinma local government areas of the state.
The development was then confirmed by the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency during a press conference.
There have been concerns about prudence and management of resources by states in Nigeria.
Many states have lamented poor financial resources and their inability to meet fiscal demands.
Data published by the Debt Management Office shows that on the domestic front, Katsina owes N30 billion as of September 2024.
In the 2024 full year between January and December, the state spent N18 billion on public debt charges, per data published by the state on its budget performance documents.
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