The Kano State government has launched a robust defence of its 2025 fiscal appropriation, while simultaneously delivering a scathing assessment of the budget performance under the immediate past administration of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The government insists that its own budget execution has positively impacted the state's social economy and development.
NNPP Government Counters Criticism from Ganduje's Ally
This defence was triggered by criticism from Muhammed Garba, the former Chief of Staff and ex-Commissioner for Information under Ganduje. Garba had accused the current New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) administration of poor budget performance in critical sectors, alleging a wide gap between its public promises and actual delivery. He pointed to figures on official budget websites for health and water as evidence of a government more invested in propaganda than governance.
However, the state Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Musa Suleiman Shanono, fired back. He insisted that it was the Ganduje administration that performed woefully, plunging the state into monumental debt while neglecting physical development. Shanono suggested that Garba should be buried in shame for his former administration's record rather than criticising the present government.
Comparative Budget Figures Reveal Stark Contrast
Commissioner Shanono provided a detailed quarter-by-quarter comparison to substantiate the government's claims. He clarified that the published third-quarter report for 2025 primarily covered State Treasury Funded Projects, with other funding sources yet to be captured.
He then presented specific comparative data: For the Ministry of Science and Technology, the 2025 third-quarter capital performance was N1.1 billion against an approved budget of N4.9 billion, representing 23.3%. In contrast, during the third quarter of 2022 under the previous administration, only N167.9 million was spent from an approved budget of N1.86 billion, a mere 9% performance rate.
In the education sector, the Ministry of Education's performance in Q3 2025 was 32.2%, compared to 15.1% in Q3 2022. For Higher Education, the 2025 performance was 7.7%, while the 2022 data under Ganduje showed a stark 0% performance.
Investments and Cross-Cutting Projects
Shanono further explained that many projects with direct benefits to education and health, such as classroom and hospital construction by the Ministry of Works, were not captured under those specific sub-sectors in the reviewed report. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance the state's water infrastructure, including the purchase of ten new raw water pumps for the Challawa and Tamburawa plants.
The Commissioner concluded by stating that the administration's investment in education is already yielding visible results. He cited improved performance by Kano's senior secondary school students in the 2024 and 2025 NECO examinations, where the state recorded the highest percentage of students obtaining five credits and above in the country.
The exchange, which occurred on 6 December 2025, underscores the ongoing political rivalry in Kano State and sets the stage for further debates on fiscal responsibility and governance delivery between the current NNPP government and the opposition APC.
