Budgetary Control and Financial Performance of State-Owned Enterprises in Kebbi State

This research examines the relationship between budgetary control practices and financial performance in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Kebbi State, located in Nigeria's North West geopolitical zone. SOEs in Nigeria face persistent financial management challenges, including budget indiscipline, revenue leakages, and operational inefficiencies, which undermine their capacity to deliver public value. This study employs a survey research design with data collected from 100 finance officers, budget analysts, and management staff across six SOEs in Birnin Kebbi. Structured questionnaires served as the data collection instrument, with analysis performed using descriptive statistics and correlation techniques. The study evaluates budgetary control dimensions including budget preparation quality, expenditure monitoring frequency, variance analysis practices, and corrective action responsiveness. Findings reveal that expenditure monitoring frequency and variance analysis practices exhibit the strongest positive associations with financial performance indicators including budget compliance rates, cost reduction achievements, and revenue generation targets. Budget preparation quality, while important, showed weaker direct performance effects, suggesting that implementation and monitoring processes are more decisive than planning quality alone. Poor corrective action responsiveness was identified as the most critical budgetary control weakness in the SOEs studied. Recommendations include institutionalising monthly budget performance reviews, strengthening internal audit functions, and training finance officers on modern budgetary control techniques. Keywords: budgetary control, financial performance, state-owned enterprises, Kebbi State, financial management.