Federal and state governments have earmarked more than half of the N17.5 trillion total budgets to be spent on salaries and overheads this year, according to Daily Trust investigations.
Analysis of the budgets revealed that of the N17.5 trillion, N9.35 trillion will go for recurrent expenses, leaving only N8.17trillion for power, roads, rail and other development projects.
This year’s figures are higher than last year’s with about N4 trillion. In 2017, states and federal budgets were N13.5 trillion, with N5.9 trillion (41 percent) voted for salaries and the remaining N7.6 trillion for development projects.
The two tiers voted N12.5 trillion in 2016 with N5.3 trillion going for salaries and overheads and N7.2 trillion for capital projects.
Breakdown of the 2018 estimates shows that the federal government is spending N8.61 trillion, with personnel salaries, overheads, statutory transfers and debt servicing guzzling N5.96 trillion, leaving N2.65 trillion for capital projects.
All the states, except Kebbi which has not yet presented its budget, have a total budget of N8.95 trillion. The sum of N5.52 trillion is for capital and the N3.39 trillion for recurrent.
The 19 northern states (minus Kebbi) have a combined estimate of N2.85 trillion; of which N1.18 trillion was for salaries and overheads and the N1.65 trillion for developmental projects.
In 2018, the 17 southern states have a cumulative budget of N6.12 trillion, voting N3.86 trillion for capital projects and the N2.21 trillion for recurrent.
In 2017, the northern states had a total budget of N2.38 trillion, witnessing a reduction of over N100 billion from 2016’s N2.5 trillion.
Last year, the total budget of the southern states was N3.83 trillion against previous year’s N3.5 trillion.
Of this, N2.15 trillion was capital and N1.67 trillion recurrent, against N1.9 trillion and N1.5 trillion in 2016.
Regional breakdown
The northwest total estimates in 2018 are N1.15 trillion, comprising N747 billion capital votes and N405 billion recurrent.
In 2017, the zone (minus Kebbi) had a total budget of N1.01 trillion slightly lower than 2016’s N1.12 trillion.
The budget had capital and recurrent components of N635.2 billion and N376.5 billion when compared to the previous year’s N698 billion and N479 billion irrespectively.
The northeast budgets for this year is N796 billion with N435.3 billion for capital projects, and the remaining N358.3 billion for recurrent expenses.
Last year’s total budget for the northeast zone was N593.1 billion, about N80 billion lower than 2016’s N676 billion, with capital expenditure consuming N298 billion against previous year’s N347 billion.
The six states of the north-central budgets are N904 billion for this year. Of this figure, N475.3 billion will be spent on capital projects, and N421.3 billion going for salaries and overheads.
In 2017, the north-central figures were N781.5 billion, a rise of about N100 billion from previous year’s N684 billion. N439 billion was for capital and N342.4 billion for recurrent spending, compared to N385 billion and N343 billion in 2016.
The 2018 combined estimates for the southwest is N2.1 trillion, comprising N1.2 trillion capital votes, and N819.9 billion for recurrent.
Last year, the southwest zone’s budget was N1.47 trillion, slightly higher than 2016’s N1.36 trillion, with capital spending consuming N805.7 billion, leaving N668 for the recurrent component. The zone had a recurrent vote of N695 billion and N671 billion capital in 2016.
The five states of the southeast budgeted N805 trillion this year. Capital votes will gulp N503.8 billion, and recurrent expenses N293.5 billion.
The southeast’s total budget last year was N581.2 billion, about N90 billion increase from the 2016’s N490 billion. It was made up of N324 billion capital and N257.3 billion recurrent votes; which was slightly higher than 2016’s N242 billion and N248 billion respectively.
The south south region has a total budget of N3.2 trillion, N2.1 trillion for capital and N1.1 trillion for recurrent in 2018.
In 2017, the oil-producing zone had a total budget of N1.77 trillion against N1.6 trillion of the previous year, comprising N1.03 trillion capital, and N750.6 billion recurrent expenditure. The oil-rich region spent N949 billion on capital projects and N579 billion on recurrent in 2016.
State with high recurrent votes
Of the 35 states that presented their budgets, only eight have swollen recurrent expenditure higher than their capital votes.
Bayelsa State Governor Henry Seriake Dickson budgeted N295.2 billion for the year. He is spending N148.3 billion on recurrent, leaving N146.9 billion as capital votes. In 2017, the governor budgeted N221 billion but spent N137 billion on salaries and overheads, and N84.3 billion on capital projects
In Yobe, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam budgeted N92 billion for the year, N44.6 billion for capital and N47.4 billion for recurrent. The state voted N69 billion for 2017 with N42 billion for recurrent spending and N27 billion for capital projects.
Governor Ayodele Fayose’s Ekiti State budgeted N98.6 billion for 2018. He is spending N66.4 billion recurrent, and N32.1 billion on capital. Last year, the state had a higher recurrent vote of N55.6 billion out of the N94 billion budget, leaving N38.4 billion for capital expenditure.
Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku budgeted N51.2 for recurrent and N45.5 billion for capital in 2018.
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State budgeted N182 billion this year, and he’s spending N106.7 billion on salaries and overheads, leaving the remaining N75.2 billion for capital projects.
Another governor in this league is Plateau’s Samuel Lalong, who is spending N75.8 billion of the state’s N145.4 billion on recurrent expenses leaving N69.6 billion for developmental projects. Last year, Governor Lalong budgeted N68.5 billion for recurrent and N64.3 billion for capital.
Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwanyi budgeted N98.5 billion for the state in 2018. He is spending only N30.8 billion on capital projects, channelling the huge balance of N60.7 billion to salaries and overheads.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo is also spending N81.5 billion of his 2018 annual budget of N171.2 billion on recurrent expenses. He has only N68 billion in capital spending.
Some of the states with small estimates this year include Yobe (N92 billion), whose budget rose from N69 billion in 2017. Others are Ekiti (N98.6) billion. The state budgeted N94 billion in 2017.
Niger’s proposed budget is N128 billion, about N20 billion higher than its 2017 budget of N108 billion. Nasarawa budgeted N122.8 billion for 2018, which is almost double the N67 billion, it spent in 2017.
Other states with relatively low annual expenditure are Taraba (N96.6 billion), Enugu (N98.5 billion), Gombe (N105 billion), Zamfara (N130.7 billion), Jigawa (N134.2 billion), Abia (N141 billion), Edo (N146.6 billion), Plateau (N145.4 billion), Kogi (N147.8 billion).
States with above N150 billion but less than N200 billion estimates are Adamawa (N162.7 billion), Anambra (N166.9 billion), Bauchi (N168 billion), Ondo (N171.2 billion), Borno (N172.2 billion), Osun (N173.9 billion), Benue (N178.4 billion), Kwara (N182 billion), and Imo (N190.9 billion).
States with big expenditure
For the first time, Cross River state is leading states with higher budgets this year, with a record budget of N1.3 trillion. Its budget skyrocketed from a modest N301 billion in 2017 and N305 billion in 2016, making it the first state to hit the 12-figure benchmark.
Lagos spent N813 billion in 2017, and N662 billion in 2016, but now planning to spend N1.04 trillion next year, trailing the former oil-rich state of Cross River.
Other states with huge expenditure this year are Akwa Ibom, which budget rose from N424 billion in 2016 and N365 billion in 2017 to N651 billion in 2018. Delta state is planning to spend N298 billion this year, having spent N271 billion in 2017 and N268 billion in 2016.
Ogun spent N221 billion in 2017, and it is proposing to spend N345 billion in 2018. Kano is planning to spend N234 billion this year, having spent N210 billion in 2017 and N274 billion in 2016.
Kaduna’s 2018 approved budget is N216.5 billion this year. It spent N215 billion in 2017. Katsina state is proposing N211 billion in 2018.
Other states expenditures this year are Rivers (N510 billion), Bayelsa (N295.2 billion), Oyo (N267 billion), Ebonyi (N208 billion), and Sokoto (N220 billion).
