Data review has shown that Northern states received the sum of N14.6 billion as ecological funds in the six months period between September 2023 and February 2024.
Review shows that the highest allocation was received by Kano, with the sum of N1.1 billion. Kaduna got the sum of N915 million, while Katsina got N859.06 million.
Other states such as Niger received N827.78 million, Kogi N772.3 million, Sokoto N770.18 million, Bauchi N835 million among others.
What are states spending on?
In the budget performance documents of states, ecological funds are referred to as “preservation of the environment”.
In Kaduna state, the sum of N2.5 billion on tree planting and N1.6 billion on erosion and flooding control.
Gombe state spent N0 (zero naira) on erosion and flood control in 2023, in the same year, Kebbi state did not budget any amount for erosion and flooding control, while the sum of N125 million for Tree planting.
Ecological funds are meant to address ecological concerns. It is an intervention by the federal government to address ecological challenges in various communities of the country.
There have been a series of allegations on poor management of ecological funds by states overtime. In 2022, as an aftermath of the flooding , the Presidency challenged the states to give account of what they are spending ecological funds on.
In 2022, over 600 persons died and over 3.2 million were impacted due to the flooding in the country.
The federal government listed high flood-risk states as; Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe for 2024.
