Sokoto fails to release Q3 2025 budget performance document
By Aminu Abubakar
The Sokoto State government has failed to release the budget performance document for the third quarter of 2025, a SolaceBase review of official government portals has shown.
Budget performance documents are key to measuring a government’s expenditure and revenue in relation to estimates approved for the year. Usually, these documents are released at the month following the end of each quarter. That is the budget performance for the third quarter, which ended in September, should have been published at the end of October, usually between the 27th and 29th day of the month.
One month later, the wait for Sokoto State’s budget performance document continues.
While the state released budget performance documents up to the second quarter of the year, residents have been denied a glimpse into what was spent in the third quarter, covering July to September 2025, and, by extension, between January and September of the 2025 fiscal year.
Sokoto State has a history of questionable expenditure. For instance, the state came under scrutiny following revelations that nearly half of its internally generated revenue (IGR) for 2024 was spent on purchasing luxury vehicles for members of the State Executive Council and special advisers, despite widespread poverty and persistent public health crises.
According to budget performance records reviewed by this newspaper, the Sokoto State government approved the purchase of 30 units of Prado 2023 model SUVs for N7.464 billion for members of the State Executive Council. In addition, 40 Changan vehicles were bought for special advisers at a cost of N2.514 billion. Together, the expenditure on vehicles amounts to N9.978 billion.
This figure represents about 45 percent of the state’s internally generated revenue (N22.046 billion) for 2024, sparking questions about the government’s priorities in a state where millions of residents continue to lack access to basic needs such as clean water, healthcare, and education.
Furthermore, a sum of N5.4 billion is budgeted by the House of Assembly and the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) for the purchase of luxury vehicles in the 2025 fiscal year. According to the breakdown in the document, the office of the SSG alone earmarked N3 billion for the purchase of various vehicles, including Peugeot, Hyundai, Hilux, and Toyota Camry models.
Additionally, the SSG’s office budgeted another N800 million for vehicles designated for special advisers. This is in addition to the N1.1 billion set aside for thirty different vehicles meant for House of Assembly members and key management staff. A further N460 million was allocated specifically for procuring luxury vehicles for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, with the vehicles listed ranging from Toyota Prado SUVs to high-end Toyota Land Cruisers.
In total, the combined allocation by the House of Assembly and the Secretary to the State Government stands at N5.4 billion for luxury vehicles in the 2025 budget. This figure has generated public concern, especially when compared with capital expenditure for critical sectors. For instance, the capital budget for Sokoto State University is only N1.1 billion, the same amount allocated to Shehu Shagari University, both significantly lower than the amount earmarked for government vehicles.
Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Multidimensional Poverty Index paint a stark picture. Sokoto is officially Nigeria’s poorest state, with 5.81 million people classified as poor—the highest population of poor people in the country. According to the data, 60 percent of households in the state lack access to sanitary facilities, while 49 percent do not have access to clean drinking water. The education sector is similarly distressed, with 52 percent of school-age children currently out of school. Civil society actors say these numbers highlight a deep mismatch between the state’s spending behaviour and the urgent, life-altering needs of its citizens.
Health Sector in Distress
The healthcare system in Sokoto State continues to battle recurrent crises. In 2024 alone, the state recorded a devastating cholera outbreak that claimed 25 lives and infected over 1,160 people. Health Commissioner Hajiya Asabe Balarabe described the situation during a press briefing, noting, “Out of the 1,160 reported cases, 25 people have succumbed to the disease. Rescue teams, in collaboration with the state government, are working tirelessly to manage the outbreak and prevent its further spread.” The outbreak hit areas such as Sokoto North, Silame, and Kware particularly hard.
Earlier in the year, another cholera outbreak in Tureta Local Government Area claimed dozens of lives among internally displaced persons (IDPs). Public health experts consistently attribute these outbreaks to poor water supply systems, inadequate sanitation, and the deterioration of essential public health infrastructure.
Despite these challenges, government spending on the health and water sectors remains comparatively low. In 2024, the Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency received only N1.020 billion, while the Rural Water and Sanitation Agency was allocated a mere N78 million. The Sokoto Water Board’s N1.9 billion budget also pales in comparison to the billions spent on luxury vehicles.
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On the ground, conditions are dire. In Unguwar Lalle, Sabon Birni Local Government Area, a Primary Health Centre (PHC) serving more than 3,000 residents has remained in disrepair for two years, depriving communities of essential health services and forcing many to travel long distances for basic care.
A SolaceBase review of the Sokoto State budget performance document for the first half of 2025 revealed a disturbing lack of commitment to the rehabilitation of primary schools destroyed by flooding and erosion. This raises concerns about the state government’s priorities at a time when access to education remains one of the most pressing challenges in the region.
The budget review indicates that only N205 million was allocated for the rehabilitation of schools destroyed by flooding and erosion. Of this sum, just N100.4 million was actually spent between January and June 2025. The figure is strikingly low given the enormity of the problem, especially as reports suggest that 52 percent of children in Sokoto State are currently out of school, according to the National Bureau of Statistics—the highest proportion in Nigeria. Education experts say the inability to provide safe, functional schools worsens the already dire out-of-school crisis and deepens poverty in affected communities.
In stark contrast, far larger amounts were channelled into non-essential projects. While the rehabilitation of schools destroyed by flooding took only N205 million, the purchase of thirty vehicles for Honourable members of the House of Assembly and management staff was budgeted at a massive N1.8 billion. Between January and June alone, N1 billion of this allocation had already been spent. Similarly, another N460 million was earmarked for motor vehicles for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly.
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