Double appropriations: Lagos channels N51.46b on contract variations, but Q1-Q3 spending patterns raise eyebrows

• As Assembly Library Renovation Gulps N90m, Plans Additional N50m For e-Library Upgrade

If the 2025 third quarter budget performance of Lagos State government is anything to go by, the state government has spent about N51.46 billion on variation in contract sum for ongoing projects across the state.

In the budget document, there were two line-items on Provision for Variation in Contract Sum of Ongoing Projects. While the one line-item is domiciled in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the other is in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure under the Office of Infrastructure.

The budget document revealed that while the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning has a N35 billion appropriation provision, the Office of Infrastructure has an approved budget of N35,563,285,982.18 billion for same purpose.

The review of the budget performance documents from quarter one to three of the state government revealed that while the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in the first quarter spend N15.9 billion from the N35 billion provided for variation in contract sum of ongoing projects across the state, the Office of Infrastructure by third quarter had spent almost 100 per cent of the N35.56 billion provided for same purpose, with less than six thousand naira yet to be spent.

A breakdown of the spending of the Office of Infrastructure revealed that N2.2 billion was spent in the first quarter; N32.56 billion used up in the second quarter while N1.3 billion was spent in the third quarter.

When the Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure was contacted on what the variation sum was spent on and the cause of the variation, he queried the source of the data, saying “On whose authority are the quoted figures? Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget I presume? Maybe you should do a follow up with them.”

When he was told that the statistics were from the budget performance document, he said: “Definitely the document does not emanate here (Ministry of Works). Please, they (Budget ministry) are the custodian of such data. You may wish to explore their end.”

Thereafter, the Director, Public Affairs of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning was contacted for same information. After being briefed, he said he would need clarification from his commissioner. He also suggested reaching out to the Director Public Affairs, Infrastructure. But when he was told that he had been contacted, he promised to get a feedback from the Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning.

The Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning was also asked to provide some insight and clarification about the two budget-line items on the same provision. He is, however, yet to get back with a response as at press time.

Similarly, the budget performance document revealed that the Lagos State House of Assembly spent N90 million of the 100 million for the renovation of the assembly’s library while there is another provision of N50 million for rehabilitation of the assembly’s e-library though no kobo had been spent on that as at third quarter.