Fact-Check: Gov Sani’s claim that Kaduna hasn’t taken loans since 2023 is misleading

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, says his administration has not borrowed a kobo since he assumed office in May 2023 and that the state pays ₦6.7 billion monthly from its Federation Account allocation to service loans inherited from previous administrations.

But Kaduna State’s own budget performance reports and audited financial statements show that the government received billions of naira in loans in 2025 and the first half of 2026.

The state’s debt profile also shows an increase in domestic debt towards the end of 2025, while its external debt continued to rise during the period.

Mr Sani made the claim on Channels Television’s Politics Today on 27 August 2026.

“We pay ₦6.7bn every month from the loan we inherited. Since I became Governor, I have not borrowed one kobo,” he said.

“It is about being prudent. We are paying ₦6.7bn every month from our FAAC allocation, which will continue until 2048. That is what is in the Debt Management Office. It is not me. You can cross-check tomorrow morning.”

The governor added, “When I talk, I talk on data and statistics. Whatever I say to you, you must go and verify.”

Based on that invitation, PREMIUM TIMES examined data from the Debt Management Office (DMO), Kaduna State’s budget performance reports, and Kaduna State audited financial statements and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursement records.

The records show that while Mr Sani inherited a substantial debt burden, his claim that his administration has not borrowed “one kobo” requires qualification and evidence from the government to contradict the documents.

Kaduna’s domestic debt under Sani

Mr Sani became governor on 29 May 2023, succeeding Nasir El-Rufai.

As of 30 June 2023, about a month after Mr Sani assumed office, Kaduna’s domestic debt stood at ₦87.28 billion.

The figure fell marginally to ₦86.59 billion by 30 September 2023 and ₦85.52 billion by 31 December 2023.

It then declined substantially throughout 2024, standing at ₦29.38 billion in March, ₦28.60 billion in June, ₦26.61 billion in September and ₦25.76 billion by December.

The downward trend continued into 2025, with domestic debt falling to ₦25.01 billion by March and ₦24.09 billion by June. By September, it was ₦23.13 billion. But the position changed aggressively thereafter.

By 31 December 2025, Kaduna’s domestic debt had risen to ₦84.64 billion, an increase of ₦ 61.51 billion, or more than threefold, from the ₦23.13billion recorded three months earlier. It rose further to ₦87.87 billion by 31 March 2026.

The March 2026 debt stock is the last domestic data published by the DMO. This implies that, according to the DMO data, Kaduna domestic debt has increased by ₦590 million (0.68 per cent) over the ₦87.28 billion inherited from Mr El-Rufai’s administration.

The increase raises questions about what liabilities were added to the state’s domestic debt stock during that period.

External debt also increased

Kaduna’s external debt also rose during Mr Sani’s tenure.

The state’s external debt stood at $569.38 million as of 30 June 2023, ranking Kaduna second among the most indebted states, including the Federal Capital Territory, in terms of foreign debt.

It increased to $587.07 million by December 2023 and $640.99 million by June 2024.

Although it fell to $625.10 million by December 2024, it rose again to $658.71 million by June 2025.

By 31 December 2025, Kaduna’s external debt had reached $684.29 million. The state remains the second most indebted in Nigeria in terms of external debt.

Thus, Kaduna’s external debt increased by $114.91 million between June 2023 and December 2025.

Kaduna reports billions in loan receipts

Kaduna State’s own budget performance reports and audited financial statements record loan receipts during Mr Sani’s tenure.

Although the 2024 audited financial statements recorded no loan, the 2025 audited financial statements recorded a loan of N876 million.

The second-quarter 2026 budget performance report recorded N9.15 billion in international loans.

The third- and fourth-quarter budget performance report for 2023, which covers financial activities between July and December 2023, is not publicly accessible; thus, PREMIUM TIMES is unable to independently assess whether loans were obtained under Mr Sani’s administration in 2023.

The two figures amount to ₦10.03 billion in reported loan receipts between 2025 and the first half of 2026.

These figures appear, on their face, to conflict with the governor’s categorical statement that he has not borrowed “one kobo” since assuming office.

However, the existence of loan receipts in the fiscal documents, by itself, does not establish that the Sani administration contracted entirely new loan facilities.

The receipts could represent drawdowns from facilities that were approved or contracted for before he became governor.

However, if that is the explanation, the government would need to show evidence of when the facilities were approved, when the agreements were executed and when the funds were drawn down.

FAAC deductions not fixed at ₦6.7bn

Mr Sani also said that Kaduna pays ₦6.7 billion every month from FAAC to service inherited loans.

PREMIUM TIMES’ review of FAAC disbursement records published by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation between May 2023 and June 2026 confirms that Kaduna makes large debt-related deductions from its allocations.

However, the records do not establish a fixed monthly deduction of ₦6.7 billion.

Kaduna recorded some of the highest external-debt deductions among the states, but the amounts varied from month to month.

Between May and December 2023, the highest deductions were recorded in May and June, at ₦2.28 billion each.

In 2024, monthly deductions did not exceed ₦4.3 billion, and no month in 2025 reached ₦5 billion.

The deductions increased in 2026, with most months between January and June recording amounts within the ₦5 billion to ₦6 billion range.

February 2026 was an exception. External-debt deductions reached ₦8.29 billion, while “other deductions” amounted to ₦636.84 million, bringing total deductions to ₦8.93 billion.

The available records, therefore, do not establish that ₦6.7 billion is deducted from Kaduna’s FAAC allocation every month.

The figure could represent an average monthly debt-service burden or another calculation used by the government, rather than a uniform monthly deduction.

₦40.29bn spent on debt charges in six months

Kaduna’s debt burden is also reflected in its expenditure.

In the first half of 2026, the state spent ₦40.29 billion on public debt charges.

Of this, ₦34.61 billion went to foreign principal repayment and ₦3.93 billion to domestic principal repayment.

Foreign interest accounted for ₦1.153 billion, while domestic interest accounted for ₦ 603.6 million.

In 2025, Kaduna paid ₦1.26 billion in domestic interest, ₦3.5 billion in domestic principal and ₦47.70 billion in foreign principal repayment. In 2024, public debt charges amounted to ₦69.99 billion.

Of this, ₦19.21 billion was spent on interest payments, ₦17.18 billion on foreign loans and ₦2.03 billion on domestic loans, with the balance going to principal repayment.

Kaduna revenue under Mr Sani

Kaduna’s revenues have also been substantial.

The state recorded ₦439.94 billion in revenue in 2024 and ₦373.77 billion in 2025. In the first half of 2026, it recorded ₦202.95 billion, excluding the opening balance.

However, Kaduna has not published its third and fourth-quarter 2023 budget performance reports. Consequently, the state’s revenue between May and December 2023 could not be independently established for this fact-check.

Kaduna government fails to respond

PREMIUM TIMES sought clarification from Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaku, on 7 September.

The newspaper sent the Commissioner a media enquiry via text and WhatsApp, detailing discrepancies between the governor’s claims and the available fiscal records.

The enquiry specifically asked the government to clarify the loan receipts recorded in the state’s fiscal documents.

It also asked the government to explain the surge in domestic debt from ₦24.09 billion in June 2025 to ₦84.64 billion in December 2025 and ₦87.87 billion by March 2026.

The commissioner was further asked whether the ₦6.7 billion cited by Mr Sani represented a fixed monthly FAAC deduction, an average debt-service obligation or an estimate, and to provide a month-by-month breakdown of debt-related deductions since May 2023.

Mr Maiyaku did not respond to the messages sent by PREMIUM TIMES. He also did not respond to calls seeking his comments.

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Verdict

Governor Uba Sani is correct that Kaduna inherited a substantial debt burden and continues to make considerable debt-service payments.

However, his categorical assertion that “since I became Governor, I have not borrowed one kobo” is not adequately supported by the available fiscal records.

Kaduna’s own budget performance reports and audited financial statements record loan receipts totalling N10.03 billion between 2025 and the first half of 2026.

Those figures do not conclusively prove that Mr Sani’s administration contracted new loans, because they may represent drawdowns from facilities approved before he took office.

But without evidence showing that the facilities were inherited and merely drawn down under his administration, the governor’s blanket claim cannot be sustained.

His assertion that ₦6.7 billion is deducted from FAAC every month is also not borne out by the FAAC records reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, which show no fixed monthly figure.

PREMIUM TIMES thus rates Mr Sani’s claim that he has not borrowed “one kobo” since assuming office as misleading.