Fact-Check: Governor Sani's claim about Kaduna's loans is not accurate

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, said his government has not borrowed any money since he became governor in May 2023. He also stated that the state spends ₦6.7 billion each month from its Federation Account allocation to pay off loans from previous governments.

However, Kaduna State's own budget reports and financial statements show that the government actually took billions in loans in 2025 and the first half of 2026.

The state’s debt records also indicate an increase in domestic debt by the end of 2025. At the same time, external debt continued to grow during that period.

Mr Sani made this claim during an interview 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 stated.

He added, “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.”

Mr Sani continued, “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 looked at data from the Debt Management Office, Kaduna State’s budget reports, and audited financial statements.

These records show that while Mr Sani took on a large debt burden, his claim that he has not borrowed “one kobo” needs more evidence from the government to contradict the documents.

Kaduna’s domestic debt under Sani

Mr Sani became governor on 29 May 2023, taking over from Nasir El-Rufai. As of 30 June 2023, just a month after he took office, Kaduna’s domestic debt was ₦87.28 billion.

This amount dropped slightly to ₦86.59 billion by 30 September 2023 and ₦85.52 billion by 31 December 2023. It then fell significantly throughout 2024, reaching ₦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 dropping to ₦25.01 billion by March and ₦24.09 billion by June. By September, it was ₦23.13 billion. But things changed sharply after that.

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

The March 2026 figure is the latest domestic data from the DMO, showing that Kaduna’s domestic debt has increased by ₦590 million (0.68 percent) since Mr El-Rufai’s time. This rise leads to questions about what new liabilities were added during this time.

External debt also increased

Kaduna’s external debt also grew during Mr Sani’s time as governor. The state’s external debt was $569.38 million as of 30 June 2023, making Kaduna the second most indebted state, after the Federal Capital Territory, in terms of foreign debt.

This amount increased to $587.07 million by December 2023 and $640.99 million by June 2024. Although it dropped 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 reached $684.29 million. The state remains the second most indebted in Nigeria for external debt. This means Kaduna’s external debt rose by $114.91 million between June 2023 and December 2025.

Kaduna reports billions in loan receipts

Kaduna State’s budget performance reports and financial statements show loan receipts during Mr Sani’s time. The 2024 audited financial statements recorded no loans, but the 2025 statements noted a loan of ₦876 million.

The second-quarter 2026 budget report showed ₦9.15 billion in international loans. The reports for the third and fourth quarters of 2023, which cover July to December, are not available to the public. So, PREMIUM TIMES cannot confirm if loans were taken under Mr Sani in 2023.

These two amounts total ₦10.03 billion in reported loan receipts from 2025 and the first half of 2026. This seems to conflict with the governor’s claim that he has not borrowed “one kobo” since he took office.

But just having loan receipts does not prove that the Sani government took out new loans. The receipts could be from loans approved before he became governor. If that is the case, the government needs to show when those loans were approved and when the funds were received.

FAAC deductions not fixed at ₦6.7bn

Mr Sani also said that Kaduna pays ₦6.7 billion every month from FAAC to handle old loans. PREMIUM TIMES reviewed FAAC disbursement records from May 2023 to June 2026.

These records show that Kaduna makes big debt-related deductions from its allocations. But the records do not support a fixed monthly deduction of ₦6.7 billion. Kaduna has some of the highest external-debt deductions, but the amounts change from month to month.

From May to December 2023, the highest deductions were in May and June, at ₦2.28 billion each. In 2024, monthly deductions did not go over ₦4.3 billion, and no month in 2025 reached ₦5 billion.

Deductions increased in 2026, with most months between January and June ranging from ₦5 billion to ₦6 billion. February 2026 was different, with external-debt deductions hitting ₦8.29 billion, while “other deductions” reached ₦636.84 million, totaling ₦8.93 billion.

The available records do not show that ₦6.7 billion is deducted from Kaduna’s FAAC every month. This figure might be an average monthly debt-service burden or another calculation used by the government.

₦40.29bn spent on debt charges in six months

Kaduna’s debt burden shows in its spending. In the first half of 2026, the state spent ₦40.29 billion on public debt charges. Out of this, ₦34.61 billion was for foreign principal repayment, and ₦3.93 billion for domestic principal repayment.

Foreign interest accounted for ₦1.153 billion, while domestic interest was ₦603.6 million. In 2025, Kaduna paid ₦1.26 billion in domestic interest, ₦3.5 billion for domestic principal, and ₦47.70 billion for foreign principal repayment. In 2024, total public debt charges were ₦69.99 billion.

Kaduna revenue under Mr Sani

Kaduna’s revenue has also been high. The state made ₦439.94 billion in revenue in 2024 and ₦373.77 billion in 2025. In the first half of 2026, it recorded ₦202.95 billion, not counting the opening balance.

However, Kaduna has not published its third and fourth-quarter 2023 budget reports. Because of this, the state’s revenue from May to December 2023 cannot be confirmed for this fact-check.

Kaduna government fails to respond

PREMIUM TIMES reached out to Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaku, on 7 September. The newspaper sent him a message via text and WhatsApp about the differences between the governor’s claims and the financial records.

The message asked the government to clarify the loan receipts in the state’s fiscal documents. It also asked why domestic debt surged from ₦24.09 billion in June 2025 to ₦84.64 billion in December 2025 and ₦87.87 billion by March 2026.

The commissioner was also asked whether the ₦6.7 billion mentioned by Mr Sani was a fixed monthly FAAC deduction or an average debt-service obligation. A breakdown of debt-related deductions since May 2023 was also requested.

Mr Maiyaku did not respond to the messages or calls from PREMIUM TIMES.

Verdict

Governor Uba Sani is right that Kaduna inherited a large debt and continues to make significant debt payments. But his claim that “since I became Governor, I have not borrowed one kobo” is not supported by the available financial records.

Kaduna’s budget reports and financial statements show loan receipts of ₦10.03 billion between 2025 and the first half of 2026. These numbers do not clearly prove that Mr Sani’s government took out new loans because they might be from agreements made before he took office.

Without proof that the loans were inherited and only drawn down under his administration, the governor’s blanket claim does not hold. His statement about ₦6.7 billion being deducted from FAAC every month is also not backed by the FAAC records, which show no consistent monthly figure.

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