By Aminu Abubakar
Kaduna State recorded the highest debt servicing expenditure among states in Nigeria’s Northwest geopolitical zone in the first three months of 2026, according to figures detailing the amount spent by state governments on meeting debt obligations during the period.
The data shows that Kaduna spent N21.5 billion on debt servicing, placing it ahead of the six other states in the region.
Katsina State recorded the second-highest expenditure, spending N7.4 billion on debt servicing, while Kano State followed with N5.2 billion.
Sokoto State spent N4.3 billion, while Zamfara State recorded N1.5 billion in debt servicing expenditure.
Jigawa State reported spending N0.858 million, while Kebbi State recorded N0.195 million.
The figures place Kaduna at the top of the regional ranking, with its debt servicing expenditure exceeding the combined figures recorded by several other states in the zone.
A breakdown of the data shows the following expenditures: Kaduna, N21.5 billion; Katsina, N7.4 billion; Kano, N5.2 billion; Sokoto, N4.3 billion; Zamfara, N1.5 billion; Jigawa, N0.858 billion; and Kebbi, N0.195 billion. In total, the states spent N40.9 billion on debt servicing, with January and March, 2026, representing the first quarter of the fiscal year.
Debt servicing refers to payments made by governments toward the repayment of borrowed funds, including obligations arising from loans and other debt instruments.
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Among the seven states, Kaduna’s N21.5 billion expenditure represents the largest amount allocated to debt servicing in 2025.
The state’s expenditure was N14.1 billion higher than that of Katsina, which occupied the second position on the list.
Katsina’s N7.4 billion debt servicing expenditure placed it ahead of Kano, which recorded N5.2 billion.
Sokoto followed closely behind Kano with N4.3 billion, while Zamfara’s expenditure stood at N1.5 billion.
The figures show a significant gap between the first four states and the remaining three states in the region.
Combined, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto accounted for N38.4 billion in debt servicing expenditure.
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Adding Zamfara’s N1.5 billion brings the total expenditure of the five highest-spending states in the zone to N39.9 billion.
The figures reported for Jigawa and Kebbi were substantially lower than those recorded by the other states.
Jigawa’s debt servicing expenditure was listed as N0.858 billion, while Kebbi recorded N0.195 billion.
The data reflects variations in the amounts allocated by state governments to debt servicing during the year under review.
Among the states surveyed, Kaduna’s N21.5 billion represented the highest single expenditure on debt servicing.
Katsina’s N7.4 billion figure placed the state in second position, followed by Kano with N5.2 billion and Sokoto with N4.3 billion.
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Zamfara occupied the fifth position with N1.5 billion.
