2024 Budget Will Reverse Zamfara’s Decline, Says Commissioner

Abdulmalik Abubakar-Gajam, the Zamfara State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, has stated that the newly proposed “2024 Rescue Budget” aims to rescue the state from its current chaotic and disorganized state.

In an interview during the International Youth Day commemoration on Thursday in Sokoto, Mr. Abubakar-Gajam, who also chairs the Zamfara Economic Planning Board, explained that prior to Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration, the state lacked a functional fiscal policy or guiding documents for governance. He emphasized that this deficiency left the state without a clear roadmap for addressing the challenges of a growing population and securing a better future.

The commissioner described the “Rescue Budget” as a deliberate and strategic initiative aimed at correcting past mistakes. It focuses on providing essential services, such as potable water, addressing security challenges, and reducing the state’s debt burden. He revealed that the current administration has already paid off about N20 billion in loans inherited from the previous regime, while refraining from taking on new debt, in a bid to ease the state’s financial burden.

Mr. Abubakar-Gajam noted that the 2024 budget is significantly larger—three times bigger than previous budgets—thanks to increased internally generated revenue and the fiscal space created by the removal of the fuel subsidy.

The commissioner criticized the previous administration for its ineffective agricultural programs and poorly functioning health facilities, which lacked both manpower and infrastructure. He observed that past budgets disproportionately allocated funds to recurrent expenditures, often spent on luxuries that contributed little to economic growth, while capital expenditures were underfunded.

He also highlighted that the previous government consistently spent more than it received from both the federation account and internally generated revenue.

Mr. Abubakar-Gajam concluded by stating that the Zamfara Economic Planning Board is now focused on developing and implementing economic policies to promote sustainable development and growth in the state. He stressed that the current administration is committed to ensuring that all expenditures align with the interests of the people.