Nigeria's Water Ministry Budgets N600Million To Renovate Police Stations, Beyond Its Statutory Role

A SaharaReporters review of the approved 2025 budget has revealed that the Ministry of Water Resources has allocated N600 million to rehabilitate police stations, despite such spending being outside the ministry’s statutory responsibilities.

According to the budget document, N200 million has been earmarked for the renovation and furnishing of the Sabon Gida Ora Police Station and its quarters in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

Another N200 million was budgeted for the renovation and furnishing of the Afuze Police Station and Quarters in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State.

A further N200 million was also budgeted for the renovation and furnishing of the Uzebba Police Station and Quarters in Owan West Local Government Area, Edo State.

The official mandate of the Ministry of Water Resources is to develop and implement policies, projects, and programmes that will enable sustainable access to safe and sufficient water. These functions bear no relation to policing and security.

Earlier, a SaharaReporters review of the published final approved 2025 budget of Nigeria revealed that the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation earmarked a sum of N1 billion for the renovation of an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Ogun State, located in the southwestern region of the country.

Despite the Ministry's responsibilities not covering expenditures on behalf of or for the INEC, this remains the case.

Official details reveal that the original functions of the Ministry centre on driving national development by promoting science, technology, and innovation (STI). It serves as a platform for government agencies and state ministries to collaborate, applying STI to address various national challenges.

Nigeria's 2025 budget has come under scrutiny, with concerns over insertions into the budget which experts argue jeopardise the transparency and accountability the budget ought to ensure.