Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal is under fire for allegedly misleading the public about his administration’s borrowing record, according to a statement by the Zamfara Concerns Citizens group.
In a live interview on Channels Television on 18 June 2025, Lawal denied taking any loans since assuming office in 2023, stating, “I have not borrowed a single kobo from any financial institution.”
However, budget performance reports obtained by SaharaReporters contradict the governor’s claims, revealing that his administration secured N34 billion in loans within two years.
The documents show that in the fourth quarter of 2023, Lawal’s government obtained N27.2 billion in domestic loans, including N16.9 billion from financial institutions and N10.3 billion from other government entities.
Additionally, a 2024 fourth-quarter report indicates an international loan of N6.8 billion, listed under “International Loans/Borrowings from Capital Market.”
The Zamfara Concerns Citizens, through spokesperson Alhaji Auwal Mustapha, condemned the governor’s “contradictions,” urging transparency in financial dealings.
He said “When confronted with the evidence, Lawal’s spokesperson, Mustafa Jafaru Kaura, initially dismissed the allegations but later referred inquiries to the Zamfara State Ministry of Finance.”
According to Saharareporter,”Efforts to reach ministry official Abdulmalik Gajam for comment have been unsuccessful, with his phone line consistently busy since Friday”.
Lawal, who inherited a near-empty treasury with only ₦4 million in May 2023, has been vocal about repaying debts from his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, now Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence.
In April, Lawal described Zamfara as being in “total disarray,” prompting him to declare a state of emergency in education and healthcare.