Balqees Adeniji
In an alarming discovery, the Ogun State Government has earmarked a total of ₦3,777,148,951.50 over five years for three ministries that do not currently exist, a PLATFORM TIMES investigation has revealed.
According to a detailed analysis of the state’s budget documents accessed via the Openstates portal, between 2021 and 2025, the non-existent Ministry of Regional Integration, Ministry of Youth, and Ministry of Energy received substantial allocations.
The breakdown shows that the Ministry of Regional Integration was allocated ₦334,633,551.94, while the Ministry of Youth received ₦695,534,393.52, and the Ministry of Energy had ₦2,746,981,006.04 budgeted for the last two years of the period.
The report uncovers significant inconsistencies in the allocation over time.
The Ministry of Regional Integration, for example, received ₦70,726,600.29 in 2021, which increased to ₦98,105,761.52 in 2022, before dropping slightly to ₦88,105,761.52 in 2023.
In 2024, the allocation surged with ₦38,082,847.41 for Regional Integration, ₦262,654,337.37 for Youth, and ₦598,395,489.58 for Energy.
By 2025, the budget allocations ballooned, with ₦39,582,581.20 for Regional Integration, ₦432,880,056.15 for Youth, and an eye-watering ₦2,148,585,516.46 for Energy.
Despite these recurrent allocations, investigations show that none of these ministries appear in the current administrative structure of Ogun State.
Alarmingly, the government has yet to offer an explanation for the repeated budgetary allocations to ministries that have no tangible presence or operational function in the state.
Further complicating matters is the fact that data regarding the expenditure of these allocated funds remains shrouded in secrecy.
The Ogun State Government has failed to upload or disclose the financial records detailing how the allocated funds were spent during the period in question, raising serious concerns about transparency and accountability.
This failure to explain the budgetary allocations and the lack of corresponding governmental structures has sparked outrage among residents and transparency advocates.
Critics are demanding an immediate investigation into how public funds are being managed, especially given the apparent mismanagement or misdirection of millions of naira meant for non-existent entities.
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