Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has issued a strong rebuttal to the narrative that state governors are the sole architects of Nigeria’s current economic difficulties.
Speaking in an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) Hausa, the Chairman of the North-West Governors’ Forum pointed out that the Federal Government (FG) retains the lion’s share of the nation’s wealth, leaving subnational governments to manage with significantly less.
The Revenue Reality: 52% vs. 48%
Governor Radda, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), emphasized that while public frustration is often localized, the financial resources are heavily centralized. He broke down the Federation Account allocation to illustrate the disparity:
“Whenever there is hardship, people blame governors and local governments. But when revenue is shared, 52 percent goes to the Federal Government. It is the remaining 48 percent that is shared among the 36 states and 774 local governments.”
Radda argued that this formula leaves state leaders struggling to meet the escalating needs of their citizens, despite the popular perception that governors are “swimming” in national resources.
A Question of Federal Spending
The Governor challenged the Nigerian public to shift their scrutiny toward how the central government has managed its dominant portion of the revenue over the long term.
“For decades, the Federal Government has been receiving the larger share of federation revenue. So the question Nigerians should be asking is: where has the bulk of that money gone?”
These comments come at a time of heightened tension, as citizens demand transparency regarding the increased allocations states have received since the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Integrity vs. Generalization
Addressing the recurring theme of corruption in Nigerian politics, Radda cautioned against painting all public officials with the same brush. He insisted that the conduct of a few should not define the reputation of the many.
“Leadership is about individual integrity. It is wrong to generalise and label everyone the same way,” he stated, adding that every leader will eventually face accountability for their specific actions.
Finally, Governor Radda defended his administration’s decision to continue funding large-scale capital projects even as the cost of living rises. He argued that these projects serve as a vital economic lifeline for the grassroots.
“When you execute capital projects, you create jobs and bring money down to the people. Labourers earn wages, food vendors make sales and suppliers benefit.”
According to Radda, this investment is already yielding results at the community level. He concluded: “If you go to the local governments today, you will see a lot of economic activity because funds have reached the communities.”
