12th November, 2026 | News

Edo State Spent ₦10.08 Billion on Refreshments and Welfare, Outpacing Basic Education and Healthcare Budgets in 2026 Q3

Benin City, Nigeria — An analysis of the Edo State Government’s 2026 Third Quarter (Q3) Budget Implementation Report has revealed that the state government spent a cumulative ₦10.08 billion on overhead costs, refreshments, welfare packages, and publicity between January and September 2026.

Shockingly, this expenditure surpassed the state’s total combined actual spending on basic education and primary healthcare during the same nine-month period, raising serious concerns among citizens and budget analysts regarding government spending priorities.

A Breakdown of the ₦10.08 Billion Overhead Spending

According to the SaharaReporters’ analysis of the report published on October 28, 2026, the funds disbursed under administrative and overhead categories under Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration include:

• Welfare Packages: ₦5.02 billion
• Refreshments and Meals: ₦2.39 billion
• Publicity and Advertisements: ₦1.66 billion
• Honoraria and Sitting Allowances: ₦682.55 million
• Sporting Activities: ₦337.19 million
• Total Cumulative Expenditure: ₦10.08 billion

Education and Healthcare Funding Lag Behind

In sharp contrast to the multi-billion-naira administrative spending, the social sector experienced severe under-execution relative to approved budgetary allocations:

• Basic Education: Actual spending stood at just ₦1.50 billion—representing a paltry 11 percent of its approved ₦13.63 billion annual budget. Out of this, only ₦258.43 million went toward improving teaching and learning outcomes, while capital infrastructure recorded about ₦785.32 million against a ₦6.5 billion allocation. Key sectors, such as the Education Information Management System and equity services, recorded zero expenditure.
• Primary Healthcare: The state recorded an actual expenditure of ₦7.21 billion out of an approved ₦35.27 billion (roughly 20.5 percent). Notably, expenditures on pharmaceutical products and specialised outpatient medical services recorded zero implementation during the period.

Combined, the state’s actual spending on basic education and primary healthcare amounted to ₦8.72 billion—falling approximately ₦1.36 billion short of what was spent on refreshments, welfare, publicity, honoraria, and sporting activities alone.

Public Concern Over Priorities

The yawning gap between administrative overhead and vital social services has sparked intense public debate. Critics note that ordinary residents heavily rely on public basic schools for children’s foundation and primary healthcare centres for routine immunisations, maternal care, and treatment of common illnesses.

With significant portions of the approved annual allocations left unspent as the financial year draws to a close, pressure is mounting on the Edo State government to realign its fiscal focus toward human capital development and infrastructural upliftment in schools and healthcare facilities.