The Federal Government spent no fewer than ₦13.07bn on the supply and distribution of food items, mainly rice, spaghetti and other staples, across constituencies nationwide between June 2023 and December 2025, an analysis of Govspend records has shown.
Findings from the Govspend records reviewed on Saturday showed that a total of ₦13,067,814,910.26 was disbursed for food palliative interventions within the period, amid worsening economic hardship triggered by fuel subsidy removal, rising inflation and exchange rate reforms.
The analysis showed a sharp increase in spending after 2023. While ₦157.34m was spent in 2023, the figure rose significantly to ₦8.31bn in 2024 before dropping to ₦4.60bn in 2025.
The spending pattern and project descriptions suggest that many of the interventions were executed as constituency projects — government-funded initiatives nominated by members of the National Assembly for implementation in their constituencies.
Under Nigeria’s budget system, lawmakers do not directly execute constituency projects. Rather, they identify projects for inclusion in the budget, while Ministries, Departments and Agencies handle procurement and implementation. Such projects are usually categorised as Zonal Intervention Projects or Constituency Intervention Projects.
Although designed to promote grassroots development, constituency projects have repeatedly attracted criticism over transparency concerns, duplication and alleged political influence in contract awards.
A breakdown of the disbursements showed that Ondo State received the highest allocation with ₦1.06bn, followed by Borno with ₦1.03bn and Kano with ₦1.01bn. Kaduna also recorded ₦778.45m in transactions linked to food interventions.
Other states with notable allocations include Lagos and Adamawa with ₦427.27m each, Kebbi with ₦394.90m, Ekiti with ₦386.36m and Sokoto with ₦378.56m.
Meanwhile, Abia, Bauchi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa and Taraba recorded allocations of about ₦85.45m each.
Additional disbursements included ₦298.45m for Oyo, ₦256.36m each for Osun and Jigawa, ₦187.56m for Plateau, ₦188.68m for Imo and ₦169.2m for Rivers, alongside ₦3.20bn spread across other constituencies nationwide.
A closer examination of individual transactions revealed repeated payments for the “supply,” “distribution,” and “procurement” of food items targeted at specific communities and constituencies.
In November 2023, for instance, ₦51.57m was paid for the distribution of rice as post-COVID-19 palliatives in selected communities in Kaduna State, while ₦26.18m was released as mobilisation for palliative supplies across constituencies in Kebbi State.
The interventions expanded further in 2024. In March, ₦85.45m was spent on emergency rice supply to communities in Abia State, while another ₦170.91m was disbursed in April for similar interventions in Kaduna.
Kano recorded ₦222.18m for palliative distribution across several communities, while ₦241.84m was spent on grain supply across local government areas in Borno South Senatorial District.
The trend continued in 2025, with Ondo recording ₦186.12m for food procurement targeted at vulnerable residents in Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, while Ekiti recorded ₦79.53m for similar interventions in Ekiti West.
Other payments included ₦93.95m for food distribution in Yobe, ₦174.73m in Imo targeted at women and youths, as well as several mobilisation payments, including ₦28.14m in Anambra for palliative supply contracts.
The increase in palliative spending coincided with the economic impact of reforms introduced under President Bola Tinubu, especially the removal of petrol subsidy and the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market, both of which significantly raised food prices and the general cost of living.
The political undertone of the interventions also came to the fore recently when Hope Uzodimma disclosed that governors under the Progressive Governors’ Forum joined the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, in flagging off the distribution of 100 trucks of rice alongside ₦1.2bn support for vulnerable households across northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Uzodimma described the initiative as a “seed of renewed hope,” linking it to the administration’s economic reforms while reaffirming political support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
