No fewer than 15 federal government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), including the Presidency, and their associated agencies have allocated a staggering N8,997,097,623 billion to welfare packages out of the over N46 billion earmarked for vague “miscellaneous” expenses across board in the 2024 national budget, investigations by this newspaper has revealed.

These MDAs exploit this ambiguous budget line to allocate funds to non-viable causes while the country and its citizens, particularly those in the private sector, grapple with economic hardships.

The Budget Office of the Federation received the largest allocation for miscellaneous expenses, with a whopping N920,301,938,040 billion earmarked, taking advantage of cozy relations with a compromised National Assembly, which often colludes to inflate budget figures for clandestine agendas.

Notably, the Presidency alone allocated a sum of N1,574,940,619 billion in the 2024 budget. A breakdown of this allocation reveals allocations such as N673.17 million for welfare packages at the State House, N39.83 million for the Vice President’s office, N1.88 million for the State House Liaison Office in Lagos, N13.9 million for the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), and N104.54 million for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Other beneficiaries include the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) with N584.88 million, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) with N100.95 million, the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) with N95.84 million, the National Atomic Energy Commission with N30 million, the National Agriculture Land Development Agency with N15 million, and the National Council on Climate Change with N14.82 million.

In a disturbing trend, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, which responsible for the budget preparation process and its oversight agencies, allocated N371,589,777 million for staff welfare. However, details regarding how these funds will be utilized remain vague, with no specific breakdown of beneficiaries or expenditure.

Details of the total amount show that while the ministry’s headquarters would spend N185,637,214 million on welfare package, the Nigerian Institute and Social Research under its supervision would take N50 million for the same item, with the Centre for Management Development taking another N20 million. Also the National Bureau of Statistics under the ministry is also expected to take N115,952,563 million for the same welfare package for staff.

If that sounds strange, Federal Ministry of Finance and four agencies under its supervision have concluded plans to spend N655,125,689 million on welfare package that is different from salaries/wages, allowances, and other frivolous items, including the litany of repeated items on the budget list.

While the headquarters of the ministry budgeted N180 million for welfare packages, Debt Management Office will spend N15 million on welfare package for its few staff members that would draw a total of N845,131,167 million as salaries from the national budget.

In the same vein, the Office of the Accountant-general of the Federation budgeted N228,940,407 million as welfare for the same staff that would draw N3,732,858,625 billion from the federal budget.

After a deduction of N2,048,231,918 billion salaries for its very few staff, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has earmarked another N177,517,162 million as unexplainable welfare package.

The investigation also revealed that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) joined the band wagon as its welfare package is worth N25,420,000 million, while National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission plans to spend N28,248,120 million on welfare packages. Curiously, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc did not vote any amount for welfare.

The Ministry of Interior stands out with one of the largest allocations for miscellaneous and welfare packages, with a total of N2,290,896,818 billion approved, with an additional N561,298,825 million allocated to welfare expenses. The discretion afforded to MDA heads in spending these funds often leads to misappropriation and diversion.

A breakdown of the budgetary provisions showed that the Ministry of Interior, as the mother agency, will get N94,392, 582 for miscellaneous, while its welfare packages will gulp N35,172,505 million respectively. Under the ministry, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is apportioned N1,075, 259, 358 for miscellaneous and N390,330,443 for welfare packages.

According to the budget document, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps will spend N722,986,563 on miscellaneous, while welfare packages will gulp N60,500,000 million.

The sum of N121,060,932 million was earmarked for miscellaneous while N14,876, 290 million was apportioned to welfare for the Nigeria Correctional Service.

For the office of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), N17,614,457 million was allotted to miscellaneous and N9,842, 857 was earmarked for welfare packages.

Meanwhile, N259,582,926 million was set aside for miscellaneous, while N50, 576,730 million was allotted to welfare packages for the Federal Fire Service (FFS).

The Ministry of Steel Development has budgeted a total of N62.38 million as welfare in the 2024 Appropriation Act. A breakdown of the budgeted sum indicates that the Ministry of Steel Development headquarters has N30 million; the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency budgeted N4.76 million; the National Metal Development Centre, N1.416 million; Metal Training Institute, N2.518 million; National Iron Ore Mining Project, however had no specific budget for welfare but had a miscellaneous budget of N8.52 million.

The others are Ajaokuta Steel Company, N2.16 million budgeted for welfare while the National Steel Council has N13 million budgeted for welfare.

The sister Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has a total budget of N126.37 million for welfare, with the bulk of N70 million budgeted by the ministry’s headquarters.
The agencies under the ministry include Geological Survey Agency of Nigeria, N3.06 million; Mining Cadastre Office, N22.60 million; Solid Mineral Development Fund, N5.708 million; and the Nigeria Mining & Geosciences Institute, N2.5 million.

The Federal Ministry of Tourism is not left out of including suspicious and frivolous items in the budget. N491, 466, 376 million was allocated for miscellaneous and welfare packages as first line charge. The ministry has a budget of N18, 867, 308, 651 for 2024.

The ubiquitous embezzlement is also exemplified by the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy and the agencies under its watch when they allocated N60, 886, 252 million to welfare packages out of the N590,977,343 million earmarked for miscellaneous expenses.

Similarly, the federal government further allocated a total of N251, 419, 160 for miscellaneous and welfare packages to the Ministry of Women Affairs and its agency, National Centre for Women Development.
In its latest budget allocation, the federal government allocated N355,065,055 million towards welfare packages for MDAs in education.

Details of the amount include that the mother ministry alone would get: N79,205,369 million; National Institute for Education Planning and Administration: N40,451,885 million; National Library of Nigeria, N23,500,000 million; Nomadic Education Commission, N500,000; NERDC: N36,514,584; National Business and Technical Education Board, N3,665,435 million.

Despite the current economic hardship facing Nigerians, the Federal Ministry of Sports Development has earmarked a whopping N3,156 billion in the 2024 appropriation act to take care of refreshment/meals, settlement of honorarium, welfare packages for the eggheads and other miscellaneous expenses.
That is apart from the N9,387,143 million to be spent on vague welfare packages. The amount is left for the supervising minister and permanent secretary to determine how it would be spent.

For the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, N2,638,634,610 billion is needed to augment welfare packages for the staff in the ministry’s headquarters and its agencies, Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP), National Productivity Centre (NPC), Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) and National Directorate of Employment (NDE), despite the billions of naira only voted for what is tagged miscellaneous.

On it’s part, the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation got N37.14 million allocated for welfare packages in the 2024 budget, while Ministry of Niger Delta allocated a substantial sum of N80,113,609 for the welfare packages that lack specifics.

The budget document that was obtained by LEADERSHIP revealed that the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation allocated N398 million for welfare packages alone in the 2024 fiscal year, while the Federal Minister of Justice and the agencies under it were allocated the sum of N180,151,316 million for welfare packages in the 2024 budget.

The sister Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare allocated N285, 582, 708 for welfare in the 2024 budget, while the Federal Ministry of Environment budgeted a total sum of N301,068,141 million or welfare packages in 2024.

Amidst persistent acute hunger faced by many Nigerians, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has earmarked a substantial sum of N327,430,823 million for welfare packages in the 2024 approved budget.

According to the budget document, the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja received a notable N95.5 million from the welfare package.

A further breakdown revealed the allocation of welfare funds across various agricultural bodies. The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) received N50 million, while the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science and the Nigeria Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research were allocated N20.149 million and N20.156 million respectively.

Other notable welfare allocations include N10.5 million for the National Agricultural Development Fund, N8.6 million for the National Root Crops Research Institute in Umudike and N5.5 million for the National Horticulture Research Institute in Ibadan.

The Lake Chad Research Institute in Maiduguri was granted N12.190 million, with smaller sums allocated to the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), N2 million, and the Institute of Freshwater Fish in New Bussa, N2.45 million, amongst others.

These allocations raise serious concerns about the misuse of public funds, especially in light of the prevailing economic challenges faced by Nigerians. Despite the urgent need for fiscal prudence and accountability, budget allocations continue to be marred by opacity and inefficiency, further eroding public trust in government institutions.

Many people believe that urgent measures must be taken to enhance transparency and accountability in budgetary processes, ensuring that public funds are utilized judiciously for the benefit of all citizens.
Without decisive action to curb corruption and mismanagement, Nigeria’s development aspirations will remain elusive, perpetuating the cycle of poverty and inequality.