ABUJA, Nigeria — New records from GovSpend, a civic technology platform tracking government expenditures, reveal that the Nigerian government, under President Bola Tinubu, spent over N550 million in a single day on rice and seasoning cubes.
The spending forms part of a larger pattern of expenditures that have raised concerns about fiscal responsibility in government.
On March 1, 2024, N275,633,850 was paid to Samdan Global Construction and Resources Limited for the procurement of 1,095 bags of 50kg rice and 4,095 cartons of seasoning cubes.
On the same day, another N280,590,000 was disbursed to Victor Adeks Nigeria Limited for 3,000 additional bags of rice.
The cumulative spending between March and July 2024 amounted to approximately N1.7 billion, covering various expenses including rice, diesel, and presidential honorariums.
In March alone, the government made several large payments, including N300 million on March 15 for “presidential honorariums” and N400 million for the same purpose on May 29. Additionally, by July 5, N433,575,000 had been paid to NNPC Retail Ltd for 315,000 liters of diesel, followed by an expenditure of N358,527,663 on unspecified foreign exchange two days later.
The spending on presidential travel has also come under scrutiny. Between February and July 2024, President Tinubu’s trips cost the government N2.3 billion, while N701 million was spent on foreign trips for First Lady Remi Tinubu.
Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), expressed concern over what he described as “profligate” spending by the government.
Speaking to The PUNCH, Adeniran said, “We all know that, until now, there is so much profligacy in government. And until we have a new constitution that regulates government spending, we will still be battling with the problem.”
Adeniran emphasised the need for constitutional reforms to address unchecked government expenditures, which he believes contribute to Nigeria’s financial challenges.
As the public becomes increasingly aware of government spending patterns, these revelations are likely to fuel ongoing debates about transparency, fiscal discipline, and the need for reforms to curb wasteful expenditures in Nigeria’s political landscape.
