By Yusuf Goje
1. The State has 8.04 million multidimensionally poor with an incidence of above 70% – Source: Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (2022)
2. Kaduna State has high dependency Rate with 49% of the population below 14 years, , while 67% are less than 24 years – Source: Kaduna State General Household Survey, 2020
3. Kaduna State has an unemployment and underemployment rates of 44.3 and 22.6% respectively – Source: National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 2020
4. Kaduna is among the 12 states with the highest number of out-of-school children with 652,990 as at 2022 – Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) report, 2022
5. 56% of the people aged 10 years and above in the State have not completed six years of school – Source: Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (2022)
6. The total number of usable classrooms housing these pupils is 20,267; while 8,239 classrooms, that is 37%, are in need of major repairs. 17,056 classrooms, 78%, are without sufficient seating provision. Similarly, 12,010 classrooms are without a good blackboard, 36%. In addition, 1,595 schools are holding some classes outside, 35%; and also, 3,007 schools, 67%, are without a health facility. These challenges also cut across Junior, Senior and Science and Tech schools – Source: Kaduna State Annual Schools Census, 2019/2020
7. Kaduna state has some of the worst health outcomes in Nigeria. The State has the worst Neonatal Mortality Rate (63 per 1000 live births), the fourth-worst state in terms of Infant mortality (97 per 1000 live births), and the sixth-worst for Under-5 mortality (187 per 1000 live births) in the entire country – Source: Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 2018
8. Kaduna State has one of the worst stunting rates among under-five children in Nigeria. In the state, 48.1% children under five are stunted – Source: Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 2019; NDHS survey, 2018
9. 64% of households are deprived of access to clean drinking water – Source: Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (2022)
10. Kaduna State has a total of 2,133.59km of roads, out of which only 49.20% (1,049.72km) are in good state, 22.09% (471.25km) are in fair state and 28.71% (612.63km) are in poor condition. Out of the total State roads, 66.87% (1,426.79km) are paved (AC/SD) while the remaining 33.13% (706.80km) is earth road. There is a total of 3,110.43 km of local government roads , out of which only 3.35 km (104.20km) are paved roads (SD roads), 96.65% (3,006.23km) are earth roads – Source: Kaduna Infrastructure Master Plan, 2018-2050
11. Default in 10% IGR statutory remittance to LGAs with trend showing 43% in 2018, zero percent in 2019, 2020, 2021. For instance, the auditor general’s report, 2021, showed that the State government remitted zero naira out of the statutory 10% of the N52.4 billion IGR collected, which is 5.2 billion, to the 23 LGA – Report of the Auditor-General on the Accounts of the Government of Kaduna State of Nigeria, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021
12. Agriculture sector budget trend shows low allocation of 2.6% in 2017, 2.3% in 2018, 1.2 in 2019, 0.9% in 2020, 4.6 in 2021, 0.8% in 2022 and 0.4% in 2023 – Kaduna State Approved Budgets (2017 to date)
13.Kaduna State has a young and dynamic population of over 7.7 million persons within the productive ages of 15 to 35 that can trigger economic growth – Source: KDBS, 2018
14. The State is said to be 13th Nationally in terms of Ease of Doing Business behind States such as Sokoto at 2nd, Jigawa at 3rd Kebbi at 6th and Katsina at 9th in the North-west – only ahead of Kano and Zamfara in the region – Source: BudgIT State of States Report, 2022
15. Revenue forecast appears to be exaggerated and too bogus to be achieved. Most MDAs are unable to meet their revenue targets – Source: Report of the Auditor-General on the Accounts of the Government of Kaduna State of Nigeria, 2021
16. In 2022, the State is poorly positioned at 33rd (3%) in terms of being able to significantly grow its IGR year on year and progressively reducing over-dependence on Federal transfer – Source: BudgIT State of States Report, 2022
17. Foreign Loan, as at 30th September, 2022 is $586,776,219.18; Domestic Loan, as at 30th June, 2022 is N86,863,069,011.79 – Source: Debt Management Office DMO as at September 30, 2022
18. Public Debt Charges is N35,442,606,826.00. This is 18.7% of the total revenue in the 2023 approved budget, 39.7% of IGR, 59.1% of Statutory Allocation and 26.2% of recurrent expenditure – Source: Kaduna State 2023 Approved Budget
19. Kaduna’s ‘Vulnerable’ risk profile reflects Fitch’s view of a very high risk relative to international peers that Kaduna’s ability to cover debt service with its operating balance may weaken unexpectedly over the forecast horizon (2022-2026). This may be due to lower-than-expected revenue, higher-than-expected expenditure, or an unexpected rise in liabilities or debt or debt-service requirements – Source: Fitch rating, 2022
20. Insecurity remains the major priority. For instance, 360 and 285 (total: 645) people were killed – due to banditry, terrorism, violent attacks, reprisals and communal clashes – in the first and second quarter of 2022 respectively. 1,389 and 985 (total: 2,374) victims were kidnapped in the first and second quarter of 2022. 3,251 and 5,999 (total: 9,250) cattles were rustled in the first and second quarter of 2022 – Source: Kaduna State Security Report, 2022
The above are some of the specific issues the various candidates should be telling us how they will address. The generic response to the issues of building schools, hospitals, roads or providing employment for youths and empowerment for women should no longer be acceptable to the electorate. Apart from what the candidates are saying they will do, we want to know the how, where the money will be sourced from and the measurable results that should be expected in four years.
#TheAgenda
#IssuesbasedCampaign
Lets engage, ask the right questions and hold the government accountable.
Yusuf Ishaku Goje
Active Citizen
