By Kareem Azeez
The Kogi State government has allocated ₦3 billion for the remodelling of the Government House in its 2025 budget, surpassing the ₦2.2 billion spent on the same project in 2024 while setting aside only ₦350 million for the construction and rehabilitation of schools and hospitals.
A review of the state’s 2025 approved budget revealed that Governor Usman Ododo’s administration also plans to spend ₦200 million on renovating and furnishing the Deputy Governor’s Lodge and another ₦200 million on rehabilitating and furnishing the Deputy Governor’s Office.
This comes even though similar upgrades cost half the amount in 2024, with ₦100 million spent on the Deputy Governor’s Lodge and another ₦100 million on the Deputy Governor’s Office. The 2025 budget also includes ₦15 million for a generator house at the Deputy Governor’s Office.
In stark contrast to the expenditure on government buildings, only ₦350 million has been earmarked as the state’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which cover the construction and rehabilitation of schools, clinics, and other essential public infrastructure.
The budget also allots ₦200 million for drilling boreholes across local government areas, despite statistics showing that 61% of households in Kogi lack access to clean drinking water and 87% lack adequate sanitary facilities.
The state’s spending priorities have raised concerns about the government’s allocation of resources, with critics questioning the emphasis on luxury projects over critical public services.
