The Bauchi State Government splashed nearly ₦20 billion on vehicles, consultancy services, and travels in the first half of 2025, exceeding the total expenditure for capital projects in the critical sectors of health and education combined, WikkiData Reports.
WikkiTimes analysis of the state’s budget performance report for the first and second quarters of 2025 shows that ₦5.82 billion was spent on the purchase of motor vehicles alone, representing 62.2% of the ₦9.37 billion approved for the entire year.
The report noted that for travel and transport, the government disbursed ₦3.65 billion, 53.8% of its annual budget of ₦6.79 billion for that purpose.
Further analysis revealed that the biggest spender in this category was financial consulting with 10.1 billion, and other professional services took .4 billion, which collectively consumed ₦10.58 billion in six months, which is 80.1% of the ₦13.21 billion set aside for the year.
The budget review also showed that the state has almost exhausted its controversial security vote allocation for the year after spending ₦9.96 billion, which is 99.6% of the annual ₦10 billion allocation within the first half of the year.
However, total capital spending on the Ministries of Health and Education combined stood at ₦17.1 billion for the same period.
The Ministry of Education, with an annual capital budget of ₦23.78 billion, had implemented just ₦2.78 billion, only 11.7% of its allocation. The Ministry of Higher Education recorded even less, spending ₦1.41 billion out of its ₦13.85 billion annual budget, 10.2% of the allocation.
The Ministry of Health fared better but still fell short of halfway execution, with ₦13.99 billion spent from its ₦47.15 billion annual capital budget — just 29.7% in six months.
The figures paint a picture of a government prioritising administrative and political expenditure over capital investment in key social sectors, raising questions about its spending priorities midway through the fiscal year.
