Nasarawa Government Spends N707million On Refreshments As Rural Water Provision Suffers Neglect

A breakdown of the allocation showed that N1 billion was earmarked for the extension of the Assembly office building, while another N1 billion was set aside for its renovation.

A SaharaReporters' review of Nasarawa State’s budget performance for the third quarter of 2025 has revealed that the state spent N707million on refreshments and meals between January and September 2025.

In contrast, capital expenditure for the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency during the same nine-month period stood at only N300.5 million, highlighting a significant disparity between administrative spending and investment in essential public services.

Residents of Nasarawa State have continued to lament the lack of access to clean and potable water, accusing the government of failing to address longstanding water supply challenges.

A resident of the state described the daily struggle to obtain water, noting that even commercial water vendors face difficulties.

"We barely get clean water, even those who sell the water to us in Jerrycans lament that it has become difficult for them to get water."

"The government promises to us has failed," the resident, who lives in the Masaka area of the state, told SaharaReporters.

Another resident in the Karu area echoed similar frustrations, describing the scarcity of water as both alarming and exhausting.

"When you see any place where there is water, it's like you have seen gold and it can be frustrating," the resident told SaharaReporters.

The spending pattern mirrors earlier findings by SaharaReporters.

A previous review of the Nasarawa State Government’s approved 2025 budget revealed that N2 billion was allocated for the extension and renovation of the State House of Assembly complex in Lafia.

A breakdown of the allocation showed that N1 billion was earmarked for the extension of the Assembly office building, while another N1 billion was set aside for its renovation.

By comparison, the budget for constituency projects — including the renovation and repair of boreholes, primary healthcare centres (PHCs), and roads in lawmakers’ constituencies — stood at N960 million, significantly lower than the amount allocated to the Assembly complex.

Constituency projects are typically used by lawmakers to drive development in their constituencies through community-based interventions funded under “constituency projects.”

Further analysis showed that while the state planned to spend N2 billion on the Assembly complex, the construction of three-block classroom buildings across the state was budgeted at N665 million.

This suggests that with the amount allocated to the Assembly project, at least three similar classroom blocks could be constructed, potentially improving access to education.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Multidimensional Poverty Index indicates that 39% of school-age children in Nasarawa State lack access to education, underscoring the scale of the state’s educational challenges.

The budget analysis also revealed that while N2 billion was allocated for the renovation and expansion of the Assembly complex, only N1.5 billion was budgeted for the construction of primary healthcare centres across the state.

An additional N1.3billion was allocated for the renovation of existing PHCs, while N400million was set aside for the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHPF) to support healthcare infrastructure.