The Kwara State Government spent a total of N726.5 million on honoraria, sitting allowances, refreshments and meals for government officials between January and September 2026, according to the state’s third-quarter budget performance report.
The expenditure is equivalent to about 862 years of earnings for a Nigerian worker on the N70,000 monthly minimum wage, assuming the worker saves every naira earned without spending any of it.
The figures, published in the state’s Q3 budget performance report on Wednesday, show that the government spent N587 million on honoraria and sitting allowances, while another N138.6 million went into refreshments and meals during the nine-month period.
A breakdown of the expenditure shows that between April and June, the state spent N251.7 million on honoraria and sitting allowances and N50.4 million on refreshments and meals.
In the third quarter, covering July to September, the respective expenditures stood at N161.7 million and N45.4 million.
However, despite the substantial spending on officials’ allowances and refreshments, the government reportedly spent nothing on the maintenance of its creches located in different parts of the state during the period under review.
The development raises questions about the state government’s spending priorities, particularly its commitment to childcare facilities and the welfare of women and children.
In 2023, when the state government commissioned a renovated and equipped creche facility provided through the World Bank-supported Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project, it said Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was committed to improving the welfare of women and their children.
The Q3 budget performance report also showed that the state government spent just N16.7 million on state-funded food and nutrition projects between January and September.
MINIMUM WAGE EARNER WOULD NEED 862 YEARS
A Nigerian worker earning the current monthly minimum wage of N70,000 would need approximately 862 years to earn N724.5 million, even if the worker saved the entirety of their salary.
At N70,000 monthly, a minimum wage earner takes home N840,000 annually.
Dividing N724.5 million by the annual salary of N840,000 means the worker would need about 862 years to accumulate the amount.
This comparison highlights the huge disparity between the earnings of ordinary Nigerian workers and the millions of naira spent by the government on official allowances and refreshments.
KWARA’S SPENDING PRIORITIES UNDER SCRUTINY
The latest figures add to growing scrutiny of state governments’ expenditure patterns, particularly how public funds are allocated between administrative expenses and essential public services.
In October 2025, Akelicious reported that the Kwara State Government had proposed spending N1.57 billion from its 2025 approved budget on convoys, furniture, kitchen equipment, interior decorations and other projects for the Government House.
