Zamfara State’s commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Abdulmalik Gajam, has warned that with a capital financing of 52% and recurrent expenditure at 48%, the future of Lagos State is in danger.

He gave the warning in a post on X (https://x.com/officialgajam/status/1993387652452958211?s=46), in response to a post by an aide of the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, detailing the presentation of the South-Western state’s 2026 budget pegged at N4.2 trillion to the state assembly.

Mr Sanwo-Olu’s aide in the X post (https://x.com/riddwane/status/1993322608293556555?s=46), said Lagos State’s 2026 budget hits N4,237,107,009,308 with a total revenue of N3,993,774,552,141 and deficit financing of N243,332,457,167, with revenue sources pegged at N3,119,774,552,141 from internally generated revenues and N874,000,000,000 from federal transfers, and a 52% capital expenditure ratio to a 48% recurrent expenditure.

In response, the Zamfara State’s commissioner said if Lagos State’s revenue cannot serve its debt servicing, the state was bound to remain stagnant.

Mr Gajam said, “Lagos future will be in jeopardy having a capital financing of 52% and recurrent at 48%. Without federal government subsidy and investment intervention there is no how for them to keep up. If your revenue cannot serve your debt servicing there is no how for you to grow but to only keep cooking your books. 

“By the way let someone not throw the idea of 81% performance of the 2025 budget because if this is how you divide your budget then obviously recurrent will help the performance hike. In lay man’s language “karyace” federal government zata subsidizing nasu.”

The encounter generated conversations on X concerning the economic conditions of Lagos and Zamfara states, with pro-Lagos X users urging the Zamfara State commissioner to learn from Lagos State on how to develop the economy of Zamfara State.