2025: Osun Budgets Over ₦20bn for Government’s Meals, Personal Expenses, Leaves ₦2.9bn Only to Tackle State’s Food Insecurity

The Osun State Government plans to spend ₦20,342,214,830 for its meals, refreshments, welfare packages, medical, honorarium, and sitting allowances in 2025. Yet separated just ₦2,910,145,460 to tackle the state’s challenging food security. An analysis of the state’s 2025 budget by the PIJAlance Research and Investigations team has found.

Breakdown of Osun State 2025 budget planned expenses for food security. PIJAlance.

The margin between ₦20.3bn personal expenses of the government and ₦2.9bn intended to tackle the state’s food insecurity in 2025 is measured at just 14.31%. This underscores the high cost of running governance in Nigeria, which has constantly come under public scrutiny, attracting perpetual pestering for restructuring in recent times.

Breakdown of Osun State 2025 Budget on Personal Expenses of the Government. PIJAlance

Meanwhile, the ₦2.9bn set aside to tackle food insecurity in Osun State is probably underestimating a state where nearly 17,000 households and 500 others recently lined up for food items.

Though the state planned to salvage the challenge of food security by trying to establish food marts and purchase tractors, among others, it’s still lacking in most recommendations made by the 18-man committee on the pressing challenges facing the state on food security and how to tackle them. 

By Nigeria’s state GDP, Osun ranks 24th out of the 36 states and lowest out of the six southwest states. Governor Ademola Adeleke should focus on rejuvenating the economy of the state.

Osun can lower these spotted personal expenses and use the funds for other pressing economic needs of the state, especially other recommendations of the 18-man committee on food security for Osun State.

Notably, as of June 30, 2024, data from the Debt Management Office (DMO) shows that Osun has $78,166,709.35 (₦120,689,398,696 when converted at ₦1544/$1) external debt and ₦86,059,840,792.41 domestic debt it has yet to service. This puts the total debts of Osun at ₦206,749,239,488 as of June 30, 2024. It is estimated that the debts would either be increased or decreased in the new 2025 sub-national debt report of DMO.

Worthy of note, the Osun 2025 budget of ₦427,746,925.170 is going to be funded majorly by debts. The state relies heavily on loans to fund its whooping budgets. According to the state’s 2023 financial statement (its latest), Osun incurred ₦114,025,493,460 as domestic debt and ₦192,495,273,897 as external debt when converted at ₦899/$1 then to augment the 2023 budget and cover the expenses.

The domestic debt was tagged as an undisclosed loan. However, the pattern of financing the budget with loans in 2023 was just a replica of what happened in 2022 with ₦117,160,779,255 domestic loans and ₦158,328,426,419 external loans.

Governor Adeleke has signed the 2025 appropriation bill into law. The budget of ₦427,746,925.170, covering roughly ₦20.3bn for “meals, refreshment, welfare packages, medical, honorarium, and sitting allowances in 2025,” of the government will take effect. 

Despite the existing ₦206,749,239,488 current debts, Osun State’s 2025 budget of ₦427,746,925.170 will still be financed through more loans.

Read Also: Despite Receiving N16m, Contractor Delivers Incomplete Water Project To Osun Schools