The Jigawa State Government has dismissed reports that it recorded zero expenditure on education in the first quarter of 2026, saying N29.19 billion was spent on the sector during the period.

The state Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Babangida Umar, made this known while briefing journalists, describing the reported N0.00 expenditure as inconsistent with the state’s official financial records.

The clarification followed a report by TheCable which listed Jigawa among states that recorded no education expenditure in Q1 2026.

According to Umar, the Jigawa State 2026 Q1 Budget Performance Report shows that the state had an annual education budget of N231.77 billion and recorded actual expenditure of N29.19 billion in the first quarter, representing 12.6 per cent budget performance.

He said the expenditure was recorded under “Function 709 – Education” and covered pre-primary and primary, secondary and tertiary education, as well as other education-related services.

Umar disclosed that N10.17 billion was spent on pre-primary and primary education, N3.64 billion on secondary education and N4.94 billion on tertiary education.

The commissioner added that N14.59 billion of the education expenditure went to personnel costs, while N13.42 billion was spent on capital projects.

He, however, acknowledged that some specific education budget lines recorded no expenditure during the quarter, stressing that this should not be interpreted as the state spending nothing on education.

Umar urged TheCable, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and other organisations that published the N0.00 figure to clarify its basis or correct the report.

He also encouraged the public to consult Jigawa State’s official Q1 2026 Budget Performance Report, which he said had been available on the state Ministry of Budget’s website since April.