Standarddailypress review of the Niger State 2025 budget performance has revealed worrying gaps in government spending on humanitarian needs, even as residents face worsening floods, banditry, and displacement.
Between January and June 2025, no funds were released to the State Temporary Displaced Persons Agency, despite an allocation of ₦6 million in the approved budget. The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs & Disaster Management, which was expected to coordinate relief efforts with over ₦2.8 billion allocated for the year, received just about ₦28.2 million in the first two quarters—barely 1% of its budget.
When broken down further, the picture is even more troubling. Out of ₦158 million set aside for personnel costs, only ₦5.6 million (3.6%) was released. For overhead expenditure, the ministry received just ₦22.5 million out of ₦1.1 billion. Under capital projects, a staggering ₦1.5 billion was budgeted, but nothing was disbursed. Once again, the Displaced Persons Agency, meant to support victims of floods and violence, got nothing.
These failures come at a time when Niger State is being battered by humanitarian crises. Since January, hundreds of lives have been lost and thousands displaced due to devastating floods and violent attacks. In May 2025, catastrophic flooding swept through Mokwa, killing over 200 people and displacing more than 3,000 households. Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago later confirmed that over 700 people were still missing.
Beyond floods, armed banditry continues to ravage communities across Niger North. Just in June, about 20 soldiers were killed in Mariga during a fierce battle with gunmen who ambushed a military camp. Weeks earlier, three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force were killed in Wamba village, leaving residents in fear and mourning.
For many in Niger State, these figures are not just numbers in a budget report—they represent lives lost, families uprooted, and communities abandoned. While government allocations exist on paper, the absence of actual funding has left thousands of displaced residents to fend for themselves in the face of disasters and violence.
