Say what?
I had to go check it myself, at www.budgetoffice.gov.ng. I had to. I just had to. In case you’re wondering, I’m talking about the proposed budget for the Nigerian Ministry for Solid Mineral Development. It turns out almost N800m was budgeted for a website upgrade.
Yes.
Website update, N800 million. Forgive me. pic.twitter.com/jCgY10EVOP
— Kae Lo (@_Kaelo_) January 14, 2016
Someone budgeted N800m for a “Website upgrade”. (This is me ruing my decision not to pursue web development as a career).
The information was initially brought to light on Twitter, by one Stanley Achonu, @StanVito, of *BudgIT.
https://twitter.com/stanvito/status/687658724081709056
Akin Sawyer, @AO1379, thinks there’s more to it than just the website.
Ask @kfayemi, but that's the cost of digitizing the mining cadastral, automating title applications etc. https://t.co/jMq4XDhClo
— Akin Oyebode (@AO1379) January 14, 2016
@SomaKudi @kfayemi @StanVito That's why costing experts exist. We can compare scope and see if the costs are inflated. Abi?
— Akin Oyebode (@AO1379) January 14, 2016
@AO1379 @kfayemi @StanVito I guess this is the mining cadastral that needs update? https://t.co/lXH4Cdn1FY
— Somachi ChrisAsoluka (@SomaKudi) January 14, 2016
Whether or not that’s the case here, clearly, it makes a lot more sense to spell out each item on a budget in as much detail as you can manage. Amen? That is, unless you’ve managed to allocate some of the funds to yourself. In that case, then this is a stellar way to do it.
Even though we live in a country where personal websites are made for N78 million, and we can spend N136 million on “internet infrastructure for Aso Rock” – whatever that means – this sticks out like a sore thumb.
.@kfayemi please clarify seven hundred ninety-five million two hundred thirty-four thousand two hundred seventy-five to update min WEBSITE?
— Kayode Ogundamisi (@ogundamisi) January 14, 2016
*BudgIT is a startup that transforms public data (like budgets) from it’s default (read: boring) state into a more engaging format, usually through infographics and interactive applications. I reckon they were analysing the revised budget, when they came across this red flag. Who knows what else is in there?
TechCabal has reached out to the Minister, Kayode Fayemi, @kfayemi for comment.
UPDATE: According to this article on newsngr.com, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, M.F. Istifanus, highlighted activities like acquisition of adequate ICT infrastructure, automation and management of mining rights/titles with online application processing, status tracking and open section for verification of valid mining licenses etc . All these have to be done through the deployment of an Enterprise Resource Planning Solution across the 10 agencies and 12 departments under the ministry. Apparently, the Budget Office summarised all this under the term, “Website Update”.
No comment.
