By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo 

The Kaduna State Government  will be launching a social investment programme with over N4 billion provided for the poor people across the 23 local government areas of the state, Commissioner, Planning and Budget Commission, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, has said. 

The Commissioner said the programme would help government to intervene directly in the life of the people across the rural areas. 

Alhaji Sani Abdullahi told journalists at a roundtable in his office, that “our social protection programme is an area where the Governor is very passionate. We are ensuring that people at the bottom are getting something. Next year, it would not be below N24 billion because we are expanding our supports in the area through supplemental income.

According to him,in the year 2022 Bugdet, ” 7.5 billion was budgeted for security in 2022, this includes support for federal government agencies and our vigilance service.”

“In 2015, our internally generated revenue was N13 billion our salary bill was N30 billion. Our target was to earn enough IGR to pay our workers which we have been able to do and yesterday, the Governor announced 13th month bonus for our workers. Our plan is for Kaduna state workers to earn one of the highest salaries in the country.”

“We have been able to cover our salary bill from our IGR but we are halfway to covering our overhead costs as well and we are hoping to cover that in two years.”
“Kaduna state would be self sufficient in the next two- four years. Our projection is to raise a minimum of N150 billion yearly from the N45-N50 billion we are raising now. We don’t want to increase taxes but we intend to expand the tax base which is why we are heavy in bringing investments to Kaduna state so that the companies and their workers would pay taxes, the companies would also pay ground rent which will increase the IGR.”

He announced that the Urban renewal projects in Kaduna, Zaria and Kafanchan and other infrastructural projects in Kaduna state are slated for completion in the state.

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The Commissioner  said Kaduna state is targeting N150 billion as internally generated revenue yearly in the next two- three years, by expanding the revenue base and bringing more people into the tax net through increment of investments that would create more jobs in the state, without increasing tax in the state. 

With 25% of the budget, he said,“education is getting a huge chunk of the budget with over N4 billion slated for the salaries and wages of the 7,600 new teachers being recruited, pensions and gratuities. Power projects are planned together with Kaduna Power Supply Company. “

“We are hoping to close down key infrastructure in the state including the urban renewal projects which is at finishing status in Kaduna, while Zaria and Kafanchan are reaching significant status,” he said.