Kaduna State Government has proposed declassifying health workers and teachers salaries into capital budget. The government is, accordingly, considering a major shift on how it handles public finances, with talks intensifying around reclassifying salaries of teachers and healthcare workers as capital expenditure. The proposal is being pushed by UNICEF and was the main focus of a one-day strategic stakeholders’ dialogue held in Kaduna.

The dialogue convened by the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission, brought together policymakers, lawmakers, and sector leaders.

Commissioner Mukhtar Ahmed said the state government is open to the reform, calling it a bold but necessary move to put human capital development first.

The core idea challenges traditional budgeting by treating teachers and health workers not just as staff on payroll, but as long-term assets essential to the state’s economic and social future. Kantiok noted that the reform could boost welfare and performance for workers in both sectors, leading to better outcomes for citizens.

UNICEF’s Chief of Field Officer in Kaduna, Dr. Gerida Birukila, stressed that the reform is urgent and strategic. She argued it would help ensure more predictable, sustained funding for frontline service providers, since the current system often fails to capture the importance of investing in human capital, especially in sectors affecting children and vulnerable groups.

Birukila added that beyond stabilizing salary payments, reclassification could help attract and retain skilled professionals in education and health. That has been a persistent challenge across many parts of Nigeria, and the reform aims to address it by reflecting the real value of these workers in the state’s budget.