By Abbas Nazil
The Kaduna State Government says agriculture, health and education will receive increased attention in the state’s 2027 budget as part of efforts to strengthen human capital development and consolidate the achievements of the current administration.
Muktar Monrovia, Commissioner for Planning and Budget, disclosed this on Wednesday during the 2027 expenditure and revenue budget defence.
Monrovia said the proposed appropriation would be the fourth budget of Governor Uba Sani’s administration and the final budget cycle of his first term.
He said human capital development would remain a major priority, while early childhood development would be introduced as a new budget line covering children between zero and five years.
According to him, the new focus is expected to strengthen the state’s human capital development programme by addressing the needs of children at an early stage.
He added that social protection, security and infrastructure would also remain key components of the 2027 budget as the government continues efforts to protect residents and address the needs of underserved communities.
“In the last three and a half years, His Excellency has done much in the area of security, and the policies and programmes will continue next year,” he said.
Monrovia said agriculture would receive significant attention because of its contribution to Kaduna’s economy and the large number of residents whose livelihoods depend on farming.
He said a survey indicated that Kaduna State has more than one million of Nigeria’s estimated 42 million farming households.
“That is why His Excellency has focused attention on agriculture, and in the last three years, he has distributed free fertilisers and improved seeds to smallholder farmers,” Monrovia said.
He said the government’s rural transformation agenda was also designed to improve connections between farms and markets, thereby strengthening the rural economy and reducing migration from rural communities to urban centres.
The commissioner said the administration would continue implementing policies and programmes aimed at improving agricultural productivity, strengthening human capital and addressing security and infrastructure needs.
He said the emphasis on agriculture was particularly important because of its potential to support livelihoods, expand economic opportunities and contribute to food security across the state.
Monrovia also said the proposed budget would build on programmes implemented during the administration’s first three and a half years rather than represent a departure from its existing development priorities.
The focus on health and education is expected to complement the administration’s human capital development agenda, while investment in agriculture is aimed at supporting farmers and strengthening the wider rural economy.
The introduction of early childhood development as a dedicated budget line also signals an effort to broaden the state’s human capital interventions beyond conventional education programmes.
The commissioner said the government would continue to prioritise social protection and security alongside infrastructure development, particularly in communities facing greater socioeconomic challenges.
He maintained that the 2027 appropriation would provide another opportunity for the administration to consolidate its policies and programmes before the completion of the governor’s first term.
The government’s agricultural interventions, including the distribution of fertilisers and improved seeds to smallholder farmers, are expected to remain part of efforts to boost production and support farming households.
Monrovia said connecting farmers to markets would remain central to the rural transformation agenda because improved market access could increase farmers’ earnings and strengthen local economic activity.
The state government is therefore expected to use the 2027 budget to deepen its investments in agriculture, health, education, security, infrastructure and other areas considered critical to the welfare and economic development of residents.
