Daud Olatunji
The 2024 federal budget has sparked controversy as food and catering allocations for the State House, including the offices of the President and Vice President, soared to N845.07 million, marking a significant 20% increase from previous years.
This revelation has raised concerns over government expenditure amidst Nigeria’s ongoing economic challenges.
A breakdown of the budget shows that the State House administration allocated N253.27m, the office of the President earmarked N254.27m, and the office of the Vice President set aside N337.52m for food and catering in 2024.
In comparison, the 2022 and 2023 allocations for food remained static at N702.95m each year.
This increase comes after President Bola Tinubu presented the 2024 appropriations bill to the National Assembly on November 29, 2023.
The budget, initially proposed at N27.5 trillion, was later increased by the Senate to N28.7 trillion.
A substantial portion of this budget has been directed toward the State House, raising eyebrows about the prioritization of funds.
Further investigation by PLATFORM TIMES revealed that between March and September 2024, the State House administration disbursed over N566.22m on rice and other food supplies.
Notably, N275.63m was paid to Samdan Global Construction and Resources Limited for the supply of 1,095 bags of rice and seasoning cubes, while Victor Adeks Nigeria Limited received N280.59m for an additional 3,000 bags of rice.
In a budget implementation report presented by the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Mr. Olufunso Adebiyi, it was disclosed that 43% of capital projects and 99% of overhead expenditures had been implemented as of October 2024.
Adebiyi credited the performance of the State House to the increased allocations, which had also supported key projects, such as the renovation of the President’s residential quarters and the digitalization of the State House.
Despite these figures, concerns have been voiced by civil society groups. Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, criticized the rising government expenditure, urging the adoption of a more conservative approach in light of Nigeria’s economic realities.
“Until we have a new constitution that regulates government spending, we will continue to face problems like this,” Adeniran said.
While the State House has faced backlash over its spending, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Temitope Ajayi, defended the allocations, clarifying that the funds were not solely for the personal consumption of the President and Vice President.
Ajayi emphasized that the allocations cover a wide range of state functions, including hosting foreign dignitaries and holding bilateral meetings, which require significant hospitality arrangements.
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