Since the May 29 inauguration of new governors across 28 of Nigeria’s 36 states, claims of poor handling of states’ finances have been made of previous administrations.
President Bola Tinubu inherited a ₦2.8 billion debt owed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). His unwillingness to service it immediately forced the NNPC to abandon its June 30 deadline for subsidy and discontinue it on Wednesday, May 31.
Like Tinubu, Abba Yusuf, the Kano State Governor, lamented a projected ₦241.5 billion debt incurred by the Umar Ganduje administration.
Yusuf received handover notes, and was told the state’s debt had risen to ₦123.3 billion and was projected to rise to ₦241.5 billion by December 30, 2023.
Abia and Zamfara State governors have also decried the huge debts their predecessors incurred.
With data from Nigeria’s Debt Management Office (DMO), this online media platform takes a look at the debts inherited by 17 incoming governors in 2015, and what they incurred during their tenures.
1. NASIR EL-RUFAI (KADUNA)
Nasir el-Rufai, former Kaduna State Governor, met ₦87.9 billion debt in 2015. ₦49.8 billion of it was internal debt, while $224.4 million was external debt.
El-Rufai left Kaduna indebted to the tune of ₦340.4 billion (₦83.3 billion in internal debt, and $573.7 million external debt).
2. IFEANYI OKOWA (DELTA)
In 2015, Ifeanyi Okowa met a domestic debt of ₦320.6 billion, and an external debt of $38.8 million. This totaled ₦327.1 billion.
By 2023, the domestic debt dropped to ₦304.2 billion, while external debt rose to $59.9 million. The total amounted to ₦331.1 billion.
3. OKEZIE IKPEAZU (ABIA)
Okezie Ikpeazu, former Abia State Governor, met a domestic debt of ₦33.5 billion, and an external debt of $41.5 million (₦40.5 billion total).
He left office with ₦103.7 billion domestic debt, and $94.3 million external debt. This is a ₦146 billion total.
4. UDOM EMMANUEL (AKWA IBOM)
Akwa Ibom State’s domestic debt in 2015 was ₦147.6 billion, and its external debt was $52.7 million (₦156.4 billion).
Udom Emmanuel left office with a domestic debt of ₦219.3 billion and an external debt of $44.8 million (₦239.4 billion).
5. SAMUEL ORTOM (BENUE)
In Benue, the domestic debt as of 2015 was ₦39.9 billion, while the external debt was $35.7 million (₦45.9 billion).
Samuel Ortom left office with a domestic debt of ₦141.3 billion and an external debt of $29.9 million (₦154.7 billion).
6. BEN AYADE (CROSS RIVER)
Cross River State had a domestic debt of ₦115.5 billion and an external debt of $136.4 million (₦138.4 billion) in 2015.
He amassed a domestic debt of ₦197.2 billion and an external debt of $209.5 million (₦291.1 billion) between 2015 and 2023.
7. DAVID UMAHI (EBONYI)
David Umahi was one of the governors whose debt more than doubled.
In 2015, Umahi met a domestic debt of ₦34.2 billion and an external debt of $47.2 million (₦42.1 billion).
He left office with a domestic debt of ₦76.5 billion and an external debt of $58.6 million (₦102.7 billion).
8. IFEANYI UGWUANYI (ENUGU)
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, ex-Enugu State Governor, inherited a domestic debt of ₦37.4 billion and an external debt of $71.8 million (₦49.6 billion total).
In eight years, Ugwuanyi amassed a domestic debt of ₦91.9 billion and $120.9 million external debt (₦146 billion total).
9. ABUBAKAR BADARU (JIGAWA)
Abubakar Badaru, former Jigawa State Governor, left the lowest debt total of any outgoing governor.
Badaru met a domestic debt of ₦22.2 billion, and an external debt of $34.1 million (₦27.9 billion total).
When he left office on May 29, he had amassed ₦44 billion in domestic debts, and $27 million in external debts ($56 billion total).
10. UMAR GANDUJE (KANO)
Umar Ganduje, former Kano State Governor, met a ₦65 billion domestic debt, and $57.6 million external debt (₦74.7 billion).
DMO’s data for December 2015 to December 2022 revealed a domestic debt of ₦122.4 billion and $100.7 million in external debts (₦167.5 billion total).
11. AMINU MASARI (KATSINA)
Aminu Masari, former Katsina State Governor, got into government in 2015 and met the least domestic debt.
He met ₦11.5 billion in domestic debt, and $72.2 million in external debt (₦23.4 billion total).
He left office with a domestic debt of ₦62.4 billion, and an external debt of $53.9 million (₦86.5 billion total).
12. ABUBAKAR BAGUDU (KEBBI)
Kebbi State’s domestic debt was ₦63.8 billion, and its external debt was $45.3 million in 2015 (₦71.4 billion total).
Abubakar Bagudu, the state’s immediate past governor, left the state with a domestic debt of ₦61.3 billion, and an external debt of $40.9 million (₦79.9 billion total).
13. SANI BELLO (NIGER)
Sani Bello, the immediate past governor of Niger State, inherited ₦21.5 billion in domestic debts, and $44.8 million in external debts in 2015.
Bello left office with a domestic debt value of ₦95.6 billion, and an external debt value of $69.2 million (₦126.6 billion total).
14. SIMON LALONG (PLATEAU)
Simon Lalong of Plateau State began his administration with a ₦96.2 billion domestic debt, and $30.5 million external debt.
He left office with ₦149 billion in domestic debts, and $32.4 million in external debts (₦163.5 billion in total).
15. NYESOM WIKE (RIVERS)
The state with the fourth highest debt in 2023 is Rivers State.
When Nyesom Wike arrived the government house in 2015, he met a ₦135 billion domestic debt problem, and $44.9 million external debt (₦142.8 billion total).
On leaving office, he had grown the domestic debt to ₦225.5 billion, and the external debt to $87.1 million (₦264.5 billion total) only behind Kaduna, Delta and Cross River State in total debt values.
16. AMINU TAMBUWAL (SOKOTO)
While Okowa holds the record for lowest percentage debt increase between 2015 and 2023, Aminu Tambuwal has the highest percentage.
The former Sokoto State Governor met ₦11.7 billion in domestic debts, and $22.9 million in external debts (₦18.7 billion total).
He left office with ₦90.6 billion in domestic debt, and $36.6 million in external debt (₦107 billion total), representing a 472 percent jump from what he met in 2015.
17. DARIUS ISHAKU (TARABA)
Darius Ishaku, former Taraba State Governor, was to navigate office in 2015 with a domestic debt of ₦27.6 billion, and an external debt of $22.9 million (₦31.5 billion total).
He finished his tenure with a domestic debt of ₦88 billion, and an external debt of $46.5 million (₦108.8 billion total).
