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Home News Nigeria’s Science and Technology Agency Allocates 71.9% Of ₦32.7bn Budget For Projects Outside Its Mandate

News Politics

Nigeria’s Science and Technology Agency Allocates 71.9% Of ₦32.7bn Budget For Projects Outside Its Mandate

Mayowa DurosinmiSeptember 6, 20243 Mins read168

Nigeria's Science and Technology Complex, SHESTCO Allocates ₦495m To Constituency Projects

8°51'17"N 7°02'33"E

Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), under the Nigerian Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, has allocated N23.5 billion, 71.9 per cent of its 2024 capital expenditure budget for constituency projects outside its constitutional mandate.

As contained in the 2024 appropriation bill, SHESTCO allocated ₦32.7 billion for capital projects; however, in the document, ₦495 million appeared eight times, which summed up to ₦3.9 billion allocated for eight similar constituency projects, such as construction and installation of solar street lights, as highlighted below.

PROJECT	LOCATION	COST
Purchase and Installation of Solar Panel Lights and Accessories for Security Enhancement	Enugu State	₦495,926,518
Provision of E-Learning Facilities for Unemployed Youths	Different parts of the six Geopolitical Zones	₦495,926,518
Installation of All-In-One Solar Lights	Various tertiary institutions in Nigeria	₦495,926,518
Construction and Installation of Solar Street Lights	Awka North, Anambra State	₦495,926,518
Construction of Rural Access Roads with Asphalt	Various communities in the Federation (NGN)	₦495,926,518
Construction of Road and Drainage	Umuchi, Okpologu, and Akaokwa LGA	₦495,926,518
Construction and Multi-Purpose Auditorium	Nnamdi Azikwe University	₦495,926,518
Construction and Installation of All in One Solar Street Lights	Different Locations in South East	₦495,926,518

TOTAL ₦3,967,412,144

The document also revealed that SHESTCO wants to spend a total of ₦28,763,114,373 billion on lawmakers’ constituency projects across the country.

PROJECT	LOCATION	COST
TRAINING OF YOUTHS AND EMPOWERMENT IN THE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE OF PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL FITTINGS	ANKA/TALATA MAFARA, FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, ZAMFARA STATE	₦50,000,000
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY	YAMALTU/DEBA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, GOMBE STATE	₦60,000,000.00
TRAINING OF RURAL HEALTH WORKERS	BAYELSA WEST SENATORIAL DISTRICT	₦100,000,000.00
TRAINING AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN	KOGI EAST	₦100,000,000.00
TRAINING AND EMPOWERMENT OF VARIOUS GROUPS	BAYELSA WEST SENATORIAL DISTRICT	₦200,000,000.00
TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ROBOTICS ENTERPRISES FOR YOUTHS	SAGAMU/IKENNE/REMO NORTH FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, OGUN STATE	₦100,000,000.00
TRAINING, SUPPLY AND ADVOCACY FOR SELECTED PERSONS	AKKO FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, GOMBE STATE	₦300,000,000.00
SUPPLY OF TOYOTA HIACE AMBULANCE 2023 MODEL AND OTHER VEHICLES	BALANGA/BILLIRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, GOMBE STATE	₦500,000,000.00
SUPPLY OF MOTORCYCLES	GARKO/ WUDIL FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, KANO STATE	₦30,000,000.00
SUPPLY OF FOOD ITEMS	NORTH EAST AND SOME SELECTED STATES	₦200,000,000.00
SUPPLY OF FERTILIZER TO FARMERS	YAMALTU DEBA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, GOMBE STATE	₦30,000,000.00
SUPPLY OF FARM IMPLEMENTS TO FARMERS	BALANGA/BILLIRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, GOMBE STATE	₦200,000,000.00
SUPPLY OF ESSENTIAL FOOD AND RELIEF MATERIALS TO WOMEN AND THE ELDERLY	SAGAMU/IKENNE/REMO NORTH FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, OGUN STATE	₦100,000,000.00
SUPPLY OF EMPOWERMENT MATERIALS FOR YOUTH AND WOMEN	EKITI AND OTHER SELECTED SOUTH WEST STATES	₦300,000,000.00
SUPPLY OF EMPOWERMENT MATERIALS FOR WOMEN AND YOUTHS	SAGAMU/IKENNE/ REMO NORTH FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, OGUN STATE	₦100,000,000.00
SUPPLY OF EMPOWERMENT ITEMS, INCLUDING MOTORCYCLES, TRICYCLES, VEHICLES	GOMBE STATE	₦500,000,000.00
SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF SOLAR UNITS	—	₦180,000,000.00
SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF SOLAR STREETLIGHTS	OHA OZARA/ONICHA/IVO FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, EBONYI STATE	₦200,000,000.00
SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF SOLAR STREETLIGHTS	NORTH EAST	₦200,000,000.00
SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF SOLAR STREETLIGHTS	ENUGU EAST SENATORIAL DISTRICT, ENUGU STATE	₦200,000,000.00
SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF RENEWABLE SOLAR STREET LIGHTS	COMMUNITIES OF OBINGWA LGA OF ABIA SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT OF ABIA STATE	₦100,000,000.00
SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF ALL-IN-ONE INTEGRATED SOLAR-POWERED STREET LIGHT	OYIMA COMMUNITY, IMO STATE	₦200,000,000.00
SUPPLIES OF TRACTORS AND OTHER FARM IMPLEMENTS (INCLUDING FERTILIZERS, HERBICIDES AND PUMPING MACHINES)	BALANGA/BILLIRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, GOMBE STATE	₦500,000,000.00
SUPPLIES OF EMPOWERMENT ITEMS, INCLUDING VEHICLES, MOTORCYCLES AND HILUX FOR MONITORING PROJECTS	BALANGA/BILLIRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, GOMBE STATE	₦300,000,000.00
SOLAR STREET LIGHT INSTALLATION FOR COMMUNITY SECURITY IN SELECTED LOCATIONS	KOGI EAST	₦250,000,000.00
SOLAR STREET LIGHT INSTALLATION FOR COMMUNITY SECURITY	DEKINA, IDAH & ANKPA, KOGI EAST SENATORIAL DISTRICT	₦250,000,000.00

Table of Misallocated Budgets by SHESTCO | Source: Budget Office

While the above summed up to ₦5.1 billion, other similar constituency projects, as detailed in the approved SHESTCO’s budget, amounted to ₦19.5 billion.

These projects, far from SHESTCO’s mandate, were spread across four tertiary institutions, states, and six geopolitical zones.

In total, SHESTCO intends to spend ₦28.6 billion out of its ₦32.7 billion allocation on non-related projects for an agency mandated to equip and strengthen research centres, including Biotechnology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and a Nuclear Technology Centre with a gamma irradiation plant at the national level.

With the agency’s recent activities of budget padding and indications of inactivity, the House of Representatives, in a recent report, called for increased budgetary allocation to enhance research at the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO).