By Sumayya Abdullahi Hussaini, Advocate for Social Justice, Transparency and ethusiasit for Inclusive Development.
1. The 2025 Draft Budget offers numerous lessons that are critical for understanding the fiscal and developmental priorities of Kaduna State. While the budget size in Naira is higher than that of 2024, its value in dollars is comparatively lower, reflecting the impact of exchange rate fluctuations.
2. A noteworthy inclusion in the 2025 Draft Budget is the introduction of a new program dedicated to persons with disabilities. The program, Conduct of Survey Census of People with Disabilities in Kaduna, is timely and commendable. We’re hopeful that the state will ensure the timely release of allocated funds to guarantee its successful implementation and improve data-driven planning for this vulnerable population.
3. An analysis of the judiciary’s budget reveals concerning trends. The Sub-sector under Ministry of Justice, including the Judicial Service Commission, High Court of Justice, Customary Court of Appeal, and Sharia Court of Appeal, all received allocations in the 2024 budget. However, all of these recorded zero performances for their capital projects. This indicates no funds were released which is a significant implementation gap.
4. The judiciary is one of the strongest arms of government, tasked with ensuring justice and the rule of law. Without adequate funding, its efficiency and effectiveness are jeopardized. This underscores the urgent need for civil society, in collaboration with the Bar Association, to advocate for the timely release of funds to enable the judiciary to function optimally.
5. The Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission overspent its 2024 allocation for the recent Local Government Elections. While ₦4,320,834,588.00 was budgeted, actual spending exceeded this by ₦472,945,179.75, representing an overspend of approximately 10.94%.
6. Several critical initiatives appear in both the 2024 and 2025 budgets, such as as Child Protection Services, Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), Diversion Programmes, and the establishment of Children and Youth Parliaments under the Ministry of Human Services & Social Development and Agricultural Census, Multidimensional Poverty Index Census, Labour Force Survey, Health Facility Census, under the Kaduna State Bureau of Statistics, an. However, the Bureau recorded zero performance for all its capital allocations in 2024. This highlights a recurring implementation gap that must be addressed to ensure the success of these programs.
7. The Kaduna State Basic Education Board, Kaduna Capital Territory Authority, and Ministry of Finance are among the better-performing MDAs regarding capital expenditures in the 2024 approved budget (January–September). Additionally, the state have introduced budget line items under the Kaduna Roads Agency and State Traffic Law Enforcement Agency for construction, reconstruction, and law enforcement. These interventions are commendable and reflect the state’s commitment to infrastructure development.
8. The Executive Governor has demonstrated a strong committed to signing the Financial Inclusion Executive Order in August, 2023. However, the absence of a budget line for financial inclusion of the poor and vulnerable poses a challenge to the implementation of the Financial Inclusion and Literacy Committees mandate as outlined in Executive Order No. 1. This omission may hinder the full realization of the governor’s vision of capturing the remaining 500,000 poor and vulnerable as highlighted by the governor during the state social protection summit.
9. Similarly, the state’s social register and other important initiatives, such as policy reviews across various sectors like social protection, lack dedicated budget lines, limiting their potential impact.
10. The state organized town hall meeting and public hearing, and the budget document was made available for citizen input. However, the late release of the 72-page budget document left insufficient time for civil society to conduct thorough reviews and analyses. While some progress has been made, it is vital for the state to prioritize timely engagement with citizens to foster robust outcomes.
In conclusion, the 2025 Draft Budget highlights areas of progress and opportunities for improvement. Addressing implementation gaps, ensuring timely fund releases, and engaging citizens effectively are essential steps toward achieving the state’s developmental goals.
