A data review has shown that Kaduna state government in 2023 spent more on public debt charges than capital expenditure of key ministries.
Capital expenditures are majorly set aside for developmental purposes in the state, that to meet infrastructural and developmental needs.
In 2023, public debt charges gulped N27.6 billion. As of the end of the year, the state spent the sum of N2.898 billion for the capital expenditure of the ministry of internal security. The Agriculture Ministry got N625 million capital expenditure.
The expenditure on public debt charges was more than what was spent on capital expenditure by the ministry of public works and infrastructure, the ministry spent N20.4 billion.
Health capital expenditure stood at N13.3 billion for the 2023 fiscal year, although the education ministry had more capital expenditure with the sum of N33.3 billion for the fiscal year.
The state also spent more on public debt charges than rehabilitation/repairs of public schools (N9.044 billion), more on debt charges than; rehabilitation/repairs of hospitals/health centres N66.6 million, construction/provision of public schools (N6.1 billion), construction/provision of health centres (N6.9 billion).
The state also spent equivalent of 43% of its internally generated revenue on debt charges in 2023. In 2023, the sum of N62 billion was recorded as IGR, while debt charges gulped N27 billion, representing 43% of the amount generated.
Review also shows that the state spent N46 billion on debt servicing between 2021 and 2023. In 2021, it spent the sum of N2.6 billion, while spending N17.2 billion in 2022 and N27.6 billion in 2023.
There have been controversies on the Kaduna state loan portfolio following lamentations by Governor Uba Sani on the inability to pay salaries due to huge debt payment figures.
