The Presidency has announced that local government areas across Nigeria will, from the end of January, begin receiving their allocations directly from the Federal Allocation Account Committee, FAAC, marking a significant step towards local government autonomy.
This was revealed by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, during an interview with media outlets.
Speaking during the interview, Dare confirmed that the arrangements were now complete, paving the way for local governments to begin receiving funds directly by the end of January.
His words, “We have a President who ensures local government autonomy. I spoke to a local government chairman, who said, ‘Oh, I will be getting N2.9bn, instead of the N200m I was getting before.’
“From the end of this month, LG will receive the money directly. One state collected N499 billion last year—nearly four times its previous allocation—yet there’s little to show for it,” Dare explained.
The presidential spokesman also called for greater scrutiny of state and local government financial management.
He emphasized that while the Federal Government often faces criticism, attention must also shift to how states and local governments utilize their resources.
“The framers of our constitution created the three tiers of government for a reason. It’s time to hold states and local governments accountable,” Dare added.
