SolaceBase Data: In three months, Northwestern States received N188.8 bn as LGCs allocation
By Aminu Abubakar
Development at the local government level has been identified as pivotal to the development of a state.
There have however been many controversies around the management of local government funds in Nigeria.
In 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari accused states of mismanaging funds meant for local government councils.
In early 2024, a civil society organisation, SERAP sued states over their failure to account for over N40 trillion local government funds.
Data review shows that the lowest allocation was received by Zamfara with the sum of N15.4 billion, followed by Jigawa with N16.2 billion. Kebbi got N20.4 billion, Katsina N33 billion, Sokoto N32.3 billion, Kaduna N27.1 billion and Kano N44 billion.
What is the worth of Local Government Allocations Received by States?
Kano
In Kano State, the allocation received by local governments in three months can do the whole year 2024 budget items listed below.
| Description | Amount (N’billion) |
| Rehabilitation Markets/Parks | 0.05 |
| Rehabilitation hospital/health centers | 3.15 |
| Capital Expenditure PHC | 5.1 |
| Provision of Water Facilities | 4.4 |
| Provision of ICT Infrastructure | 1.1 |
| Provision of hospital- | 3.3 |
| Provision of ICT Infrastructure | 1.1 |
| Provision of hospital- | 3.3 |
The sum of N10 billion will be left from the N44 billion received by the local government for other items.
This would mean that the amount spent on debt servicing in three months in Kano can offset the bill of markets/parks, rehabilitation of hospitals/health centres, capital expenditure for primary health care management board, provision of water facilities, provision of hospitals and health centres for the whole of 2024, with well over N10 billion left.
Zamfara
In Zamfara state, SolaceBase review of 2024 budget documents show that the amount received by the state as local government allocation in three months (15.4 billion) can do the following for the whole of the 2024 fiscal year in the state.
| Description | Amount |
| Repairs/Reabilitation of Public Schools | 0.3 |
| Construction/Provision of Public Schools | 2.6 |
| Construction/Provision of Infrastructure | 4.8 |
After spending these monies, over N6 billion will still be left for the state from the money received as local government allocation to pursue other needs.
The money spent for debt service could have helped Kano state for instance to further strengthen its healthcare system, which are said to be in a dire state of needing intervention, meaning the debt service figure would have been useful to increasing allocation for healthcare systems especially primary healthcare in the state.
The Problem with Development in Nigerian Rural Areas
Local Government funds are mostly meant to address development in rural areas. The multidimensional poverty index of 2022 released by the National Bureau of Statistics shows that 72% of people living in rural areas in Nigeria are poor, while 70% of the country’s population live in rural areas.
Read Also:SolaceBase Data: Without FAAC, Katsina, Jigawa would have been unable to pay salaries in Q1, 2024
Government data show that 65% (85 million persons) of poor people live in northern Nigeria.
Three northwestern states, Jigawa, Kebbi and Sokoto are listed among the poorest states in Nigeria, showing that proper management for instance of local government funds is key to lifting these areas out of underdevelopment and by extension poverty.
In 2020, then-President Buhari signed a financial autonomy law for local governments, this has not however stopped controversy over the management of local government allocation.
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