Zamfara Govt spends N2.9bn on foreign trips amid poor funding for health, water projects
By Aminu Abubakar
A SolaceBase review of the Zamfara State Budget performance document has shown that the Dauda Lawal administration splashed N2.9 billion on foreign trips between January and September 2025.
The review revealed that while the state government was able to expend billions on travel, the performance of several critical sectors remained dismal. For instance, only N1.4 billion was spent on the capital expenditure of the state Ministry of Health, despite a budgeted N52 billion. Similarly, only N1.7 billion was utilised for the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources’ capital expenditure. Shockingly, the Zamfara State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency recorded zero naira expenditure, while only N101 million was spent on the Directorate of Water Supply capital projects.
“All of these monies,” the review notes, “are less than the N2.9 billion splashed on foreign trips.”
A Pattern of Questionable Spending
Zamfara State has long been associated with questionable fiscal priorities, often drawing criticism for allocating huge sums to political or non-essential purposes while key public services languish.
For instance, amid worsening insecurity, poverty, and infrastructure decay, a previous review of the 2025 budget document by SolaceBase revealed that the state government earmarked N1.8 billion for the construction of living quarters for lawmakers and a new Assembly Service Commission complex.
According to the breakdown, N1 billion was set aside for the construction of legislative and staff quarters, while another N800 million was allocated to build the Assembly Service Commission Complex. The revelation has triggered concern among civil society groups, analysts, and residents who argue that such huge allocations to political offices and infrastructure are misplaced, especially in a state grappling with banditry, food insecurity, and deteriorating social services.
Extravagant Allocations for Political Offices
The 2025 budget document also shows several other eyebrow-raising allocations. An earlier SolaceBase review revealed that the government set aside N550 million for “special days and celebrations.” Additionally, N800 million was allocated for the governor’s office travel expenses—broken down into N300 million for local travel and transport, and N500 million for international travel.
The governor’s office also budgeted N100 million for “donations” expected to be made during the fiscal year, while the deputy governor’s office is to receive N157 million for travels and transport.
Observers argue that these allocations highlight a growing trend where governance in Zamfara is heavily tilted toward political convenience and image-building rather than service delivery. Several residents who spoke with SolaceBase described the spending as “insensitive” and “a mockery of the suffering masses.”
According to them, while top government officials jet out on costly foreign trips, ordinary citizens in rural communities continue to endure unsafe roads, poorly equipped hospitals, and a near-total lack of clean water.
Contradictions in Spending Priorities
While billions are earmarked for political and ceremonial expenses, allocations to critical social sectors remain comparatively meagre. The State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), which oversees the funding of primary education in Zamfara, has a budget of just N743 million. The Primary Healthcare Development Agency will receive only N200.5 million, while just N150 million was allocated for rehabilitation and repairs of water facilities across the state.
The disparity becomes even starker when compared to the N1.8 billion reserved for legislative housing and infrastructure—more than double the combined budget for healthcare and water.
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Policy analysts say such contradictions underscore a larger governance problem in Zamfara—one where fiscal decisions are guided by politics rather than the dire realities of citizens. “How can a state battling insecurity, malnutrition, and unemployment justify spending billions on foreign trips?” one analyst queried.
Mounting Public Frustration
Zamfara has been at the epicenter of Nigeria’s banditry crisis for years, with rural communities frequently targeted by armed groups. The unending cycle of violence has led to mass displacement, destruction of livelihoods, and worsening poverty.
Previously, hundreds of protesters—mostly elderly women and nursing mothers from Jimrawa village in Dan Isa Ward of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area—stormed the Government House in Gusau. The protesters demanded urgent deployment of security personnel to protect them from relentless bandit attacks, which have led to killings, kidnappings, and mass displacement.
The protest highlighted the growing desperation of residents who feel abandoned by their leaders. For many, the discovery that billions are allocated to lawmakers’ quarters and official travel while rural communities lack security, healthcare, and clean water adds insult to injury.
Calls for Accountability
Civil society organisations have begun calling for greater transparency in how public funds are managed in Zamfara State. They argue that unless the government redirects spending toward development priorities—particularly in health, education, and rural infrastructure—the state’s deepening humanitarian crisis will only worsen.
Budget transparency advocates also urged the State House of Assembly to strengthen its oversight role and ensure that allocations translate into real projects on the ground. “Budgets should reflect the needs of the people, not the comfort of the political elite,” a governance expert told SolaceBase.
As Zamfara’s citizens continue to grapple with insecurity, poor healthcare, and limited access to water, many wonder how much longer such fiscal recklessness can persist unchecked. The pattern of lavish spending on non-essentials while critical sectors remain underfunded, observers warn, risks deepening public distrust and further eroding the state’s capacity to meet its most basic obligations to its people.
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