Israel Oluyemi
The Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Mukhtar Ahmed, has announced that Kaduna State now classifies teachers’ and healthcare workers’ salaries as capital spending.
He made this known in Kaduna during a stakeholders’ dialogue organised by the Planning and Budget Commission with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund.
The policy shift aims to prioritise human capital development, improve funding stability, and enhance service delivery across the education and health sectors.
Ahmed described the move as a rethink of existing budget practices and said, “This dialogue reflects our commitment to exploring innovative approaches to governance that put people first.”
He added that the government continues to examine fiscal implications while aligning spending with long-term development goals.
Chairman of the Kaduna House of Assembly Committee on Judiciary and Primary Health, Emmanuel Kantiok, said lawmakers will review the proposal once relevant agencies conclude consultations.
Kantiok noted that legislative backing may follow and said, “If it requires legal backing, it will come before us, and we will consider it accordingly.”
UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Kaduna, Dr Gerida Birukila, supported the development and described it as a strategic step toward sustained investment in frontline workers.
Birukila said, “Reclassifying salaries as capital expenditure sends a strong message that Kaduna State is investing in its people.”
She added that the move will strengthen funding reliability and improve timely salary payments in both sectors.