Policy Group to Govs: Increased Allocation Shared by States Not Reflecting on Nigerians

• State governors have been urged to step up and help create wealth for their people rather than solely being dependent on federal government allocation
• This was on the heels of the report that confirmed that President Bola Tinubu's led federal government increased allocation for states by 37.3 per cent
• However, a policy think-tank group, the Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), said there had been no reflection of the increment on the people

Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro

FCT, Abuja - The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) has accused subnational entities of neglecting their constitutional duty by relying solely on the federal government to alleviate the prevailing economic challenges.

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In a statement released in Abuja and signed by Chairman Niyi Akinsiju on Thursday, February 15, the policy group highlighted that state governments, having experienced increased revenue from the federation account due to the removal of fuel subsidies, need to take greater responsibility for their citizens' welfare.

Akinsiju said:

"To put this in perspective, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that in 2023, State Governors got the most cash in FAAC allocations in at least seven years.

"This was after the petrol subsidy was removed and the currency reform availed a 40 per cent increase to the country's revenue."

"According to the NBS, FAAC shared a total of N16.04 trillion to the three tiers of government in 2023, a 37.3 percent increase from N11.7 trillion in 2022. From this, the States and their Local Governments received a total FAAC allocation of N6.57 trillion, twice the N3.16 trillion they received in 2022.

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"The NBS particularly notes that the amount shared by the federation surged in June 2023 following President Tinubu’s removal of the petrol subsidy and liberalisation of the foreign exchange market."

It was gathered that despite the rise in revenue allocation, Nigerians living in various states have yet to see any tangible improvements in their lives.

While they appreciate the Federal Government's efforts to address inflation by increasing food supply and stabilising the foreign exchange market, many states, apart from Lagos and a select few, feel that the government's commitment to alleviating economic hardships hasn't been replicated at the state level.

Economic Hardship: PDP governors acting irresponsible, says Pro-Tinubu group

In another report, governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been criticised for comparing Nigeria's economy to that of Venezuela.

On Thursday, the Tinubu Media Support Group described it as an act of irresponsibility on their part.

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They argued that the governors had benefitted from the increased federal government allocation like their counterparts in the ruling party.

Source: Legit.ng