Yusuf-led Kano govt yet to secure new loan — Debt Office

The Kano State Government has denied claims that it secured a new external loan of $6.6 million under the current New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) administration.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, the Director General of the Kano State Public Debt Management Office, Hamisu Sadi Ali, refuted the allegations made by a group known as the APC Patriotic Volunteers.

The group had alleged that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s government took on new loan within two years of assuming office, as reported by the Daily Nigerian on 11 June 2025.

Sadi Ali described the claims as “baseless” and “politically motivated,” insisting that the current administration had not signed or contracted any new domestic or external loan since assuming office.

“Since the inception of the NNPP-led administration till today, Kano State Government under the leadership of His Excellency Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf has not taken a single fresh loan,” he said.

He clarified that the state was still servicing loans inherited from the previous All Progressives Congress (APC) administration under former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, describing the eight-year tenure as “wasted.”

The debt office boss also took aim at Usman Alhaji, leader of the APC group and former Secretary to the State Government during the Ganduje era. He criticised Alhaji’s understanding of the 2021 law that established the State Public Debt Management Office, signed during the APC administration.

“If he claims ignorance of the law, we must remind him of Section 4(b), which empowers the State Debt Management Office to borrow on behalf of the government—under strict procedures and documentation,” he added.

Challenging the group’s claims further, Sadi Ali demanded evidence of any such loan agreement from the Federal Debt Management Office in Abuja.

“They should provide the name of the creditor, the subsidiary loan agreement, purpose of the loan, the amortisation schedule, and whether it is a multilateral or bilateral loan,” he said.

He stressed that the public can now distinguish between truth and politically driven misinformation.

“Governor Yusuf remains focused on delivering the dividends of democracy and will not be swayed by “malicious and baseless propaganda.”

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