A review of Nigeria’s public payments portal, Govspend, has revealed that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) spent N8.2 million on infrastructure work at the official residence of a senior officer.
According to payment records published on the platform, the NIS paid the sum for the rehabilitation of an overhead water tank at the residence of the Comptroller of Immigration Service (CIS) in Dutsen Kure, Minna, Niger State. The payment, made in February 2024, was issued to a company identified as Assist Energy Limited and was described as “rehabilitation of overhead tank at the residence of CIS.”
Govspend is a federal transparency portal designed to track government expenditures and payments by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in a bid to promote accountability and public access to fiscal information.
The expenditure comes amid ongoing concerns over public spending priorities, particularly as many government institutions continue to face funding challenges that affect service delivery and infrastructure maintenance.
In a related development, SaharaReporters’ review of the Kogi State 2025 proposed budget showed a separate allocation for the construction of overhead water tanks at the private residences of state lawmakers. The budget document included a line item titled “construction of overhead tank to each of the twenty-five honourable members’ house,” with a total allocation of N12 million.
Both the federal payment recorded on Govspend and the state-level budget proposal have renewed debates over transparency, fiscal discipline and the use of public funds for facilities linked to official residences of public office holders.
Concerns over government spending practices have also been raised in other instances. For example, N119 million was reportedly budgeted for the procurement of a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser for the Director-General of the Nigerian Energy Commission. Similarly, SaharaReporters previously reported that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) planned to spend N496 million on photocopying machines and office furniture.
Further review of the approved 2025 budget showed that N100 million was allocated for the purchase and supply of grinding machines for empowerment in the Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency in Lagos State, under the OSGF. Another N100 million was also budgeted for the supply and distribution of grinding machines in the Bonny/Degema Federal Constituency of Rivers State, likewise under the OSGF.
