By Obinna Uballa
The Zamfara State Government has reported a total revenue generation of N358.9 billion for the 2024 fiscal year, achieving 82 percent of its approved N437 billion budget target.
The announcement was made on Thursday in Gusau by the State Auditor-General, Abubakar Danmaliki, during the presentation of the state’s 2024 Citizens Accountability Report.
Danmaliki attributed the impressive performance to consistent growth in Value Added Tax (VAT), Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), federal allocations, and grants from development partners.
Presenting the report, the Commissioner for Finance, Bello Auta, described it as the first of its kind, adding that citizens had nominated projects worth N105 billion, all of which were duly executed across the state, including those initiated under the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) framework.
Auta noted that Zamfara had overcome several financial management challenges that plagued previous administrations, such as unretired advances, IGR spending at source, and weak documentation of payments.
“The aggregate revenue performance for the year was 82 percent of the N437 billion budget, translating to N358.9 billion,” he explained. “However, this figure represents an 18 percent shortfall, or about N79 billion, from the initial projection.”
He revealed that capital expenditure reached 55 percent of its N292 billion budget target, while personnel expenditure under the recurrent budget fell short by 16 percent. Other recurrent expenses performed at 63 percent.
According to the commissioner, the administrative sector accounted for the highest recurrent spending at 74 percent, while the economic sector led in capital expenditure with 41 percent.
“The top 10 value projects executed in 2024, marking the second year of this administration, are already nearing completion,” Auta stated.
Speaking at the event, Governor Dauda Lawal, represented by the state Head of Service, Alhaji Yakubu Haidara, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and citizen involvement in governance.
“Governance is not a closed-door affair,” the governor said. “Citizens must feel the impact of government policies and understand how public funds are managed. This report shows how our resources are mobilised and spent to improve lives and infrastructure.”
He assured residents that his administration would maintain open financial reporting and ensure funds are used effectively for development.
Meanwhile, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicates that Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) generated a combined N3.63 trillion in IGR in 2024, bringing the total for 2021–2024 to N10.88 trillion.
