The Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning in Zamfara State, Abdulmalik Gajam, has suffered heavy backlash after criticising the Lagos State Government and its budget of N4 trillion.

The budget, presented by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for 2026 is N4,237,107,009,308, with a Total Revenue of N3,993,774,552,141 and Deficit Financing of N243,332,457,167

The revenue sources include IGR — N3,119,774,552,141 and Federal Transfer — N874,000,000,000. The Ratio is Capital Expenditure — 52% and Recurrent Expenditure — 48%.

Reacting, Zamfara commissioner slammed the budget, saying it means Lagos' future is in jeopardy.

Using his X handle, @Officialgajam, he 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 subsidising nasu."

Reacting, many netizens wondered why Zamfara is bothered about Lagos State, which it really should be studying to learn good governance from. They also urged the Zamfara commissioner to keep his mouth shut on such issues until it's time to organise a mass wedding for orphans, a thing most northern states are known for.

Also reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Lagos, Gboyega Akosile, schooled the Zamfara commissioner concerning the budget presented to the Lagos State House of Assembly by Governor Sanwo-Olu.

He said, "Dear Abdulmalik, I’ve had to do a bit of searching after my attention was drawn to your tweet-a reaction to the very audacious, bold and progressive N4.237t budget proposal of Governor @jidesanwoolu of Lagos State. I realised that your background (education) may have been a factor in your judgment. For your information, our activities in Lagos are governed by best in class system including the individuals that drive every process. That’s why the State has continued to grow from where it was in 1999, when President @officialABAT was Governor, to where it is today.

"That said, below are direct response to your tweet, just to educate you about budgeting and performance:

"Public finance deserves accuracy, not guesswork. Here are the facts:
1. “52% capital financing” - incorrect term, incorrect claim.
What Lagos has is 52% capital expenditure, which is standard for global megacities.
Lagos’ 52% sits comfortably within global norms (Johannesburg, Nairobi, Cairo, São Paulo and Gauteng typically spend 40-65% on capex depending on project cycles).

2. Lagos does NOT rely on federal subsidies.
2026 Revenue:
IGR: ₦3.12T
Federal Transfers: ₦874B
Total: ₦3.99T
Recurrent needs are fully covered without federal support.
The deficit is just 6% - one of the lowest in Africa.

3. Lagos can easily service its debt.
2026 Debt Service: ₦527.3B
Debt-service-to-revenue ratio: 13.2%
Global benchmark: ≤30% (IMF/World Bank)
Lagos is at less than half the safe limit.
There is zero basis for suggesting debt distress or “cooked books.”

4. Claims about 81% performance being driven by recurrent spending are false.
2025 Actuals (Jan–Sept):
CAPEX: ₦1.238T (60%)
Recurrent: ₦818.6B (40%)
Performance was driven by infrastructure delivery, not overheads.

5. Growth is driven by internal productivity, not subsidies. Lagos is the most revenue-independent state in Nigeria with a 22% on FACC dependence
6. Lagos’ fiscal framework is one of the strongest on the continent.
Backed by the LSDP 2052, MTBF, MTFF, MTEF, outcome-based budgeting, TSA, IPSAS, digital revenue systems, and annual audits.
This is why:

"Lagos accounts for 29% of Nigeria’s GDP
Lagos led FDI inflows for years, no subnational (including FCT) ever came close until Q1 2025
Lagos hosts 73% of Nigeria’s startups
Lagos’ GDP (PPP) is $259B, Africa’s 2nd largest city economy
No cooking of books. No fiscal crisis. Just disciplined, globally aligned public finance.

"Lagos remains committed to transparency, sustainability, and infrastructure-led development through the 2026 Budget of Shared Prosperity."