An investigation by AfriCast has uncovered a disturbing case of ghost infrastructure in Malete, Kwara State, where a ranching project supposedly funded with N6.1 billion in the 2022 and 2023 budgets is nowhere to be found.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!A budget performance review shows that N889 million was officially released for the project, indicating construction had started. However, multiple visits to Malete town, Ajagbe, and Kogba revealed that no such ranch exists.
Residents and Monarch Confirm Ranch Doesn’t Exist
Residents of Malete, including community leaders, farmers, and business owners, expressed shock and confusion when asked about the project. The community’s monarch, Magaji Malete, Abdulkareem Babatunde Oreoluwa, confirmed that while the government had acquired land decades ago, it had never built any ranch.
One resident, Nurudeen Ishaq, known as Oga Furniture, responded in pidgin, saying, “I no sure say ranch project dey for Malete here.” Others, including Jimoh Olaiya and Sharifat Yusuf (Iya-guguru), echoed similar sentiments, stating that government officials had only cleared land but never developed it.
Budget Records vs. Reality
• N6.1 billion was allocated for the Malete ranching project across 2022 and 2023.
• N889 million was reportedly released for the project.
• No sign of construction exists in the designated areas.
Even the manager of Agro Company, Eng. Tolulope Arowojobe, whose firm specializes in livestock development, denied any knowledge of a government-funded ranch in Malete.
Kwara Government Silent on Missing Funds
Repeated attempts to reach Kwara State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Oloruntoyosi Thomas, and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s press secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, yielded no response. Both officials ignored calls, text messages, and WhatsApp inquiries.
With no visible ranch project, no government explanation, and millions of naira unaccounted for, the Kwara State government faces serious questions: Where did the N889 million go?
