By Adamu Yusuf
Kaduna State Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Usman Shehu Bawa, has raised concerns over the state’s debt profile, alleging that its total public debt has reached approximately one trillion naira.
He made the allegation during a policy dialogue with governorship candidates in Kaduna State, organised by the Partnership for Issue-Based Campaign (PICaN).
Usman Shehu Bawa warned that the rising debt burden could undermine the state’s capacity to provide essential services and improve the living conditions of residents.
The PDP candidate cited figures indicating that Kaduna State’s external debt stood at 684.29 million dollars, while its domestic debt was approximately 84.64 billion naira under successive All Progressives Congress (APC) administrations.
He compared these figures with the debt profile between 1999 and 2015, which he attributed to PDP administrations.
According to Bawa, the state’s external debt increased from 226.37 million dollars during the period he associated with PDP administrations to 684.29 million dollars under APC administrations.
He also cited poverty, poor learning outcomes and high out-of-pocket healthcare expenses as major development challenges confronting the state.
The governorship candidate called for a more accountable and sustainable approach to public borrowing and expenditure, saying his proposed administration would be guided by the PDP manifesto and prioritise policies that deliver tangible benefits to residents.
However, the debt figures presented by Bawa were not independently verified during the event.
Editing by Khadija Kubau
