4
Inherited problems
1
Fixed
1
Partial progress
Fixed
Partial progress
Partial
The problem
Outgoing Governor Nasir El-Rufai said he handed over ₦80.60 billion in local debt and $577.32 million in foreign debt, alongside ₦5 billion in the Treasury Single Account and $2.05 million in a domiciliary account. Sani's own account cited a larger combined figure of $587 million, ₦85 billion, plus ₦115 billion in contractual liabilities.
What was done
The administration says it has repaid over ₦90 billion of the inherited debt over three years without taking new loans, though naira depreciation has roughly tripled the real repayment cost of the dollar-denominated share.
In progress
The problem
A Kaduna State House of Assembly ad hoc committee investigating the El-Rufai administration's 2015-2023 tenure found significant unaccounted funds and irregularities, including mismanagement of loans, diversion of loan funds, overpayment of contractors, and lack of transparency in the use of state funds.
What was done
The committee submitted its findings in June 2024; protesters have since urged Governor Sani to involve the EFCC, but no independently verified prosecutorial follow-through or recovery outcome had been identified as of this update.
Broken
The problem
Kaduna entered Sani's tenure with an entrenched cycle of banditry and communal violence, particularly affecting Southern Kaduna, which had already displaced thousands and disrupted farming and trade under the previous administration.
What was done
The violence has continued despite a November 2024 peace accord, which largely broke down within a year, with killings and abductions persisting into late 2025 and one tracker recording 645 deaths from Kaduna attacks over a six-month period.
Fixed
The problem
Despite Kaduna's status as a major northern commercial and industrial hub, the state's monthly IGR stood at only around ₦5 billion at the start of Sani's tenure, reflecting weak tax administration and a narrow revenue net.
What was done
IGR grew to ₦62.48bn (2023), ₦71bn (2024), and ₦86bn (2025), making Kaduna the top IGR-performing state in Northern Nigeria, though debt-service obligations are projected to consume roughly 71% of the state's own revenue between 2025 and 2028.