Pecohub The Ebonyi State Government spent ₦17.58 billion on donations to official state guests and a further ₦2.2 billion on refreshments, honoraria, celebrations, international travel, sporting activities and hotel accommodation, while allocating a combined ₦9.37 billion to primary healthcare and basic education during the first nine months of 2026.
The figures are contained in the Ebonyi State Government’s Third Quarter (Q3) 2026 Budget Implementation Report obtained by SaharaReporters, which details the state’s expenditure between January and September 2026.
An analysis of the budget performance report showed that under the economic classification of expenditure, the government spent ₦17.58 billion under the heading “Donations to Official State Guests” during the nine-month period.
The amount represents a substantial share of the state’s expenditure and is nearly twice the combined ₦9.37 billion recorded for primary healthcare and basic education over the same period.
The Ebonyi State Government 2026 Quarter Three Budget Implementation Report, dated October 28, 2026, showed that the state recorded total expenditure of ₦256.71 billion between January and September 2026.
The budget performance report did not provide a breakdown identifying the individual beneficiaries of the ₦17.58 billion, the specific events or visits for which the money was disbursed, or the nature of the donations.
However, the spending figures raise fresh questions about the priorities of the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru, particularly as the state continues to allocate billions of naira to refreshments, honoraria, celebrations, international travel, sporting activities, and hotel accommodation, while basic public services remain under pressure.
The report also showed that the state spent ₦1.73 billion on “International Travel & Transport: Others” between January and September 2026.
The expenditure represents about 62.7 per cent of the annual budget of approximately ₦2.76 billion allocated for foreign trips by the state government.
Although the report records the expenditure under international travel and transport, it did not identify the officials who travelled, their destinations, the number of trips undertaken, or the specific purposes of the trips.
The state government also spent ₦362.01 million on refreshments and meals and ₦64.05 million on honoraria and sitting allowances within the period under review.
Also, the sum of ₦27.21 million was spent on special days and celebrations, while ₦4.3 million was spent on sporting activities and ₦12.87 million was spent on hotel accommodation.
When these items are added to the international travel expenditure, the total comes to approximately ₦2.20 billion in the first nine months of the year.
In contrast, the report puts the state’s total expenditure on primary healthcare at ₦5.306 billion during the same period.
The amount was recorded under the primary healthcare expenditure classification, against an annual budget of approximately ₦9.53 billion.
For basic education, the state spent ₦4.066 billion between January and September 2026, against an annual budget of approximately ₦14.14 billion.
Combined, Governor Nwifuru’s administration spent ₦9.373 billion on the two sectors during the first three quarters of the year.
The ₦2.20 billion spent on international travel, refreshments, honoraria, celebrations, sporting activities and hotel accommodation is equivalent to approximately 23.5 per cent of the combined expenditure on primary healthcare and basic education.
More strikingly, the ₦17.58 billion spent as donations to official state guests alone is approximately 1.9 times the combined amount spent on the two essential sectors.
The figures come amid persistent public concerns over the condition of public schools, access to quality healthcare and the challenges of basic social amenities confronting residents of communities across Ebonyi State.
The report leaves several questions unanswered about the ₦17.58 billion classified as donations to official state guests.
The state government did not provide, through the budget performance report, a detailed account of the recipients, the individual amounts paid, the purposes of the donations and the approvals authorising the expenditure.
There are also questions about the ₦1.73 billion spent on international travel and transport, including the identities of the officials who travelled, the destinations, the duration of the trips and the benefits expected from them.
Similarly, the government did not explain the beneficiaries and purposes of the hundreds of millions of naira spent on refreshments and meals, honoraria, and other hospitality-related expenses.
For a state funded substantially by public revenue, residents are entitled to know how public funds are being allocated, who benefits from large expenditure items, and what measurable public value the spending delivers.
