The ADC Kebbi Campaign Council has questioned the state government’s spending priorities following its donation of 10 Hilux vehicles for highway security, citing low reported expenditure on water facilities in 2025.
The Directorate of Strategic Media, Research and Policy Analysis of the ADC Kebbi Campaign Council has questioned the Kebbi State Government’s spending priorities following its donation of 10 Toyota Hilux vehicles to support security operations along the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway project.
In a statement signed by its Director, Abubakar Bello Abdullahi, the council called on Governor Nasir Idris’s administration to explain the cost of the vehicles, the budget provision that authorised the donation and the level of implementation of the state’s water infrastructure programme.
The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation confirmed on December 4, 2025, that the state government donated 10 brand-new Hilux vehicles to strengthen security for personnel working on the highway project. The vehicles were received by the Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo.
The council acknowledged the importance of security and infrastructure development but argued that the donation raised questions about how the state balances its contributions to federal projects with residents’ need for essential services.
It asked whether the donation followed a formal request from the Federal Government, which budget provision covered the expenditure, how much the vehicles cost and what procurement process was followed.
The statement drew attention to Kebbi State’s 2026 Citizens’ Budget, which provides ₦8.4 billion for the purchase of 85 brand-new Toyota Hilux vehicles identified as 2025 models.
According to the council’s calculations, the allocation amounts to approximately ₦98.82 million per vehicle on average.
However, the statement acknowledged that the budget provision does not establish the final purchase price, as the allocation may cover additional costs.
The council also cited estimated Nigerian market prices of between ₦103 million and ₦130 million for a brand-new 2025 Toyota Hilux, arguing that the cost of 10 vehicles could exceed ₦1 billion.
It questioned whether the vehicles donated in December 2025 were drawn from the 85 vehicles subsequently provided for in the 2026 budget or acquired separately.
The council called for the publication of the vehicles’ specifications, procurement records, contract details, unit prices and intended recipients.
The 2026 budget allocation alone does not establish whether the 10 donated vehicles were purchased under that provision. The statement called on the state government to clarify the relationship, if any, between the donation and the later allocation.
The ADC council also questioned expenditure on water facilities, citing figures it attributed to Kebbi State’s Fourth-Quarter 2025 Budget Implementation Report.
According to the statement, the Ministry of Water Resources had a final capital budget of approximately ₦8.136 billion, including about ₦5.495 billion allocated for water facilities.
It said the report recorded expenditure of approximately ₦724.28 million on the facilities, representing about 13.2 per cent of the allocation and leaving approximately ₦4.771 billion unspent.
The council asked the government to explain the level of implementation, identify the communities that benefited from completed projects and clarify the factors that limited expenditure.
It also questioned what measures the government was taking to improve access to safe water across the state.
The report cited by the council is available through the Kebbi State Government’s budget implementation documents.
The expenditure figures describe budget implementation and do not, on their own, establish why funds remained unspent or whether particular projects were completed. The council called for further explanations from the government.
The statement further cited the state’s Fourth-Quarter 2025 report, which it said recorded approximately ₦152.85 billion in capital expenditure against a final capital budget of about ₦442.38 billion, representing roughly 34.6 per cent implementation.
The council argued that the figures warranted explanations about delayed projects, implementation challenges and measures to improve the delivery of public infrastructure.
It acknowledged that some projects could experience legitimate delays but maintained that the government should disclose the reasons for such delays and the steps being taken to address them.
The council stressed that budget allocations should translate into functioning public services and measurable improvements in residents’ living conditions.
The ADC Kebbi Campaign Council clarified that its concerns were not an argument against the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, federal cooperation or the procurement of government vehicles.
Instead, it called for greater transparency in public spending and a balance between support for national infrastructure and investment in water supply, healthcare, education, agriculture, roads and security within Kebbi State.
It urged the government to explain the cost and expected benefits of the 10 Hilux vehicles, disclose the relevant procurement arrangements and provide details of progress on water infrastructure projects.
The council also asked the administration to clarify why expenditure on water facilities was relatively low compared with the final allocation cited in its statement.
“Governor Nasir Idris, please answer,” the statement urged, setting out questions about the vehicle donation, the ₦8.4 billion allocation for 85 Hilux vehicles and the implementation of water projects.
The statement was signed by Abubakar Bello Abdullahi, Director of Strategic Media, Research and Policy Analysis, ADC Kebbi Campaign Council.
The council maintained that residents deserved transparent accounts of public expenditure and evidence that government spending was improving access to essential services.
It concluded that public accountability should be measured not only by budget announcements and government commitments but also by the delivery of completed projects and tangible benefits to citizens.
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