How FG spent about N56.9bn on women, youths in 2021 fiscal year

NO less than N57 billion was expended on Nigerian women and youth by the Federal Government of Nigeria in the 2021 fiscal year, the Nigerian Tribune investigation has revealed. 

The ‘Budget of Economic Recovery and Resilience,’ as it was tagged, factored huge spendings for the uplift of the Nigerian woman in the rural and urban areas from poverty. 

According to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed “As of November 2021, N3.40 trillion had been expended for capital. Of this, N2.98 trillion represents 83 per cent of the provision for MDAs’ capital,” expenditure.” 

Ahmed said this at the public presentation of the approved 2022 FGN Budget – breakdown and highlights which was also live on zoom. 

In its 2021 Second Quarter and Half Year Budget Implementation Report, the Federal Government said that: “A total average utilization by all MDA’s (inclusive of capital supplementation stood at 54.54 per cent of releases. The 2021 Appropriation Act, which was replaced by the 2022 Appropriation Act on January 1, 2022, had provisions for various interventions by the Federal Government through ministries department and agencies (MDAs). 

With interventions spread across the country, the budget recorded over 763 instances of interventions for women and youths, covering grants, purchase of grinding/ sewing machines, purchases of computer hardware, training for skill acquisitions in various fields and trades as well as purchases of wrappers strictly for women and children. 

Nigerian Tribune checks revealed that the interventions recorded an expenditure of N18,233,926,583 dedicated to the training of women in various parts of the country. Further checks showed that about N1,960,000,000 was voted for purchases of grinding machines; N6,460,858,913 was expended on skill acquisition programmes, organised across the country for women and youths. 

Nigeria Tribune also found that the grant component of the budget revealed that the sum of N5,087,574,435 was earmarked to provide grants for women and the youth. 

All expenditures were carried out under the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERPG), targeted at boosting the capacities of the woman and the youth for an enhanced role in the development of the Nigerian economy. 

This amount, the Federal Government official has said, enjoyed over 83 per cent cashback and performance. 

The ERGP provisions in various ministries, departments and agencies (MDA)’s of the Federal Government reads in part: “ERGP 554001348 training and empowerment of youths and women in Kosofe Federal Constituency, Lagos state for N200,000,000. 

“ERGP 554001089 supply of butterfly sewing machines and generators for youths and women empowerment in MMC Federal Constituency, Borno state for N200,000,000.” 

In the Presidency, there was also a provision on the ERGP 554555842 for “empowerment of women and youths in animal husbandry in Gora, Wada, Gunda, Teli communities for N200,000,000.” 

Further checks by the Nigerian Tribune on the budget of the Centre for Management Vocation revealed that in the ERGP 554002264 there was the provision of N200,000,000 for vocational skill management training for women and youths in Onitsha North, Anambra State. 

In the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development’s budgetary provision on ERGP 554000824, for the 2021 Appropriation Act, it made available grants to women and youth for empowerment in Jere, Maiduguri, Mafa, Kukawa, Magumeri, Ngala, Danbuwa and Askira at the sum of N800,000,000. 

The budget also provided for training in fishery, farming and provision of wrappers for Abia women to the tune of N100,000,000. 

It reads: “Federal College Of Fisheries and Marine Technology – Lagos, ERGP 554004302 aquaculture value chain empowerment training for youths and women in Lagos Central Senatorial District, Lagos State N400,000,000. 

“Federal Co-operative College, Kaduna, ERGP 554001280 training and supply of farming materials to youths and women in Gusau Tsafe Federal Constituency, Zamfara N100,000,000. 

“Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Headquarters ERGP 554004140 provision and supply of wrapper for rural women and widows in Abia.”

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