The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed that although Borno State received about N816.34 million from the Ecological Fund between January and June 2024 only N20 million was been spent on flood control in the first half of 2024.
The receipt of the N816.34 million Ecological Fund is according to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) data published by the NBS.
The Ecological Fund in Nigeria is a dedicated fund set up by the federal government to address various environmental challenges and natural disasters across the country.
It was established to manage the country’s ecological problems, particularly those arising from soil erosion, flood control, desertification, and other environmental degradation issues.
The fund is sourced from a percentage of the Federation Account, and it is meant to be distributed to states and local governments for ecological projects aimed at mitigating the impact of environmental hazards.
N20 million spent on flood and erosion control in H1 2024
Nairametrics observed that only N20 million has been spent on flood control in the first half of 2024, representing just 2.45% of the total ecological allocation.
This amount was only spent in the second quarter of the year, as nothing was spent for this budgetary allocation in Q1 2024.
Borno’s budget allocation for erosion and flood control remains underutilized. The 2024 revised budget earmarked N1.653 billion for flood control, yet only 1.2% of this has been spent, raising questions about the state’s preparedness and commitment to addressing this recurrent issue.
Also, despite Borno State allocating N1.042 billion for flood and erosion control in 2023, no funds were disbursed or spent for this budgetary allocation throughout the entire year. This reflects a worrying trend of underutilization of funds meant for critical infrastructure projects, especially considering the region’s vulnerability to severe flooding.
Increase in total Ecological Fund to Borno
The FAAC data for Borno State between January and June 2024 shows monthly disbursements totaling N816.34 million, compared to N749.68 million for the same period in 2023. This reflects a year-on-year (y-o-y) increase of about 8.89%, with fluctuations in monthly allocations.
In January 2024, Borno received N139.89 million, a decrease of 7.21% compared to N150.76 million in January 2023.
However, the allocation in February 2024 stood at N154.99 million, marking an increase of 39.37% from the N111.20 million received in February 2023.
In March 2024, Borno received N127.99 million, reflecting a 22.31% increase from N104.64 million in March 2023.
April 2024 saw a disbursement of N119.52 million, which is a 9.57% increase compared to N109.07 million in April 2023.
The allocation for May 2024 reached N142.28 million, reflecting a growth of 12.36% over the N126.63 million allocated in the same month of the previous year.
In June 2024, Borno received N131.67 million, a decrease of 10.65% compared to N147.37 million in June 2023.
Despite receiving a total of N816.34 million from the Ecological Fund, the state’s 2024 budget implementation report reveals a stark contrast between the allocated funds and actual spending for flood and erosion control.
What you should know
This underfunding has drawn significant attention, especially in light of the devastating floods that have claimed at least 30 lives in Borno. The flooding has left hundreds of thousands displaced, with many residents describing harrowing experiences as they sought refuge.
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the flood began after the Alau Dam overflowed following heavy rains leading to the town’s worst flooding in 30 years.
The ongoing flood disaster has seen a coordinated response from the military and emergency agencies, with over 719 residents rescued from flood-hit areas.
The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, earlier said that a preliminary assessment conducted by the government showed that more than a third of Maiduguri was flooded, which affected an estimated one million people following the heavy flooding.
The governor also announced that cash distributions of N10,000 per household have been made to flood victims, adding that N3 billion flood intervention fund has been received from the federal government and would be used to provide immediate support to the communities affected by the flood.
The flood highlighted the critical need for flood control measures. However, the complete lack of expenditure in 2023, coupled with minimal spending of just N20 million in 2024 (only 1.2% of the revised N1.653 billion budget), raises serious concerns about the state’s disaster preparedness and response under Zulum’s leadership.
Culled from NairaMetrics
