Availability of resources is always the factor that determines the proximity of a country or state to defeat poverty. However, the case in some Nigerian states remains peculiar, and cloudy, and leaves every opinion molder in doubt if the former governors of the states in view truly sought the positions because of their affection for the residents of the states…CONTINUE READING>>...CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
It could be peculiar to learn that some states in Nigeria, within the eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s two terms in Office, collected bogus amounts of money, including the Local Government Allocations but have nothing to show after the money has been spent, with debt left behind for their successors.
In this article, we will review data released by StatiSense, listing six Nigerian states that collected trillions of naira from the federation account for eight years. We will also look at the impact left behind in their respective states, and the economic prosperity that the bogus allocation could had brought to the states.
Delta
Between June 2015, and May 2023 when former President Muhammadu Buhari oversaw the affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Delta State under the administration of its former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa received N1.999 trillion, the highest allocation received by any Nigerian state within the years in view.
Delta State, as of 2022, has an estimated population of 5.6 million people, and 25 Local Government Areas. Delta State is the 23rd largest in area with 17,698Km2 and the ninth most populous state in the country with 36 States.
Unfortunately, Delta State has a total debt of N331.1 billion, N4 billion debt increment from its N327.1 billion debt in 2015. Also, the state has 47.6% of its population living below the poverty index line.
Ifeanyi Okowa was the running mate to the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 General Election.
Akwa Ibom
Akwa Ibom collected N1.870 trillion from the Federation Account between June 2015 and May 2023. A state with a projected population of 5.45 million people, ranking it fifteenth of the 36 states in Nigeria, as par the population of each state. Akwa Ibom covers 7,081Km2 landmass and has 31 Local Government Areas.
In 2015, Akwa Ibom State had a total debt of N74 billion consisting of both N33.5 billion domestic debt and the N40.5 external debt. As of June 30, 2023, Akwa Ibom State danced in the committee of indebted states in Nigeria with a domestic debt of N219.6 billion and an external debt of $43.5 million. Standing at around N265 billion in total debt.
Unfortunately, Akwa Ibom has about 71.3% of its people wallowing in abject poverty despite the bogus amount of money that entered the state within the four years of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Rivers
Rivers State received a total federal allocation of N1.755 trillion for 96 months when the incumbent Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (F>CT), Nyesom Wike, was the Executive Governor of the State.
Rivers State has a projected population of 7.5 million people ranking it the seventh most populous state in the country. Rivers State has 23 Local Government Areas with a total debt profile of about N365 billion both domestic and foreign.
Despite the huge amount of money made available to the Rivers State government, 62.3% of its population still lives in abject poverty.
Bayelsa
Bayelsa State received a total federal allocation of N1.240 trillion over the eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s two-term tenure.
Bayelsa State has a projected population of 1.7 million people, ranking 35th of the 236 states in Nigeria. It is one of the smallest states in Nigeria, bigger than only six states in landmass, and only a state population-wise. Bayelsa State has just eight local government areas with great potential to be one of the greatest states in the country.
Unfortunately, as small as it is, Bayelsa State accumulated N146.37 billion in local debt and $60.39 in external debt as of June 2023. Despite this, Bayelsa State is among the states with the poorest people in Nigeria. Bayelsa State has 88.5% of its population living in multidimensional poverty.
Kano
Kano received a total allocation of N1.332 trillion from the federation account between 2015 and 2023 under the leadership of the current National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Kano State has a projected population of 21.4 million people making it the most populous state in Nigeria. It has 44 local government areas.
As of June 2023, Kano State’s debt profiles stood at N125.57 billion in domestic debt and $109.42 million in external debt. Adding this to the bogus amount of federal allocation received by the state for eight years, Kano State has 66.3% of its population living in abject poverty.
Lagos
Between 2015 and 2023, Lagos State received N1.792 trillion from the federation account as allocation. Lagos State has unclear or rather fluctuating records of population as the 2006 population census pegged the state’s population to 9.1 million people; the Lagos State Government estimated the state’s population to be 12.8 million in 2020 while the National Bureau of Statistics projected the state’s population at 35 million people in 2019.
Lagos State’s debt profiles stood at N877.04 billion local debt and $1.27 billion external debt, and 29.4% of its population living in abject poverty, the lowest among the six states that received the highest federal allocation between 2015 and 2023.
Except Lagos, none of the six states that collected trillions of naira, each, from the Federal Government has brought economic prosperity to their states, or at least bring reasonable percentage of their people out of the multidimensional poverty index line.
Apart from Rivers and Kano State States which have records of infrastructural projects to bring themselves on the path of Lagos, the other states, most especially, Bayelsa State seem to have mismanaged the money which ought to have taken the states out of poverty…CONTINUE READING>>
