President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged state governors across the federation to refrain from spending increased Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) revenues on non-essential overhead bridges and superficial infrastructure, urging them instead to channel resources directly into agriculture, basic education, healthcare, and human capital development.
The President’s admonition comes amid unprecedented increases in monthly statutory allocations accruing to state governments—a direct result of fiscal reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidies and foreign exchange unification.
Key Operational Highlights
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Reallocation of Development Priorities: President Tinubu highlighted that while urban flyovers and massive concrete structures may serve aesthetic purposes, they often fail to alleviate poverty or address the immediate socio-economic pressures felt at the grassroots level.
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FAAC Revenue Surge: State allocations have surged significantly compared to pre-2023 levels. The administration emphasized that increased federal receipts should translate to improved living standards rather than vanity projects.
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Focus on Essential Sectors: The Presidency urged governors to focus funding on primary healthcare centers, basic school infrastructure, local agricultural subsidies, social safety nets, and rural access roads that directly improve food security.
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Local Government Autonomy Alignment: The call complements federal efforts to ensure local government allocations reach third-tier administrations directly without unauthorized state-level deductions or diversions.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FAAC FUNDS │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Primary Message : Redirect FAAC windfalls from non-essential urban │
│ flyovers toward grassroots economic impact. │
│ │
│ • Targeted Sectors : Primary Healthcare, Basic Education, Agriculture, │
│ Food Security, and Rural Infrastructure. │
│ │
│ • Fiscal Context : Record monthly statutory allocations following │
│ subsidy removal and macro-fiscal realignments. │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
“Nigerians Must Feel the Impact of Government Directly”
Addressing state chief executives, the President emphasized that sustainable economic recovery requires deliberate and impact-driven spending across all tiers of government:
“Nigerians at the grassroots are still complaining, and they need to feel the impact of government more directly. Increased revenues from FAAC should not be spent on unnecessary flyovers when our people need food security, functional primary health centers, quality basic education, and support for local businesses. We must prioritize projects that directly touch the lives of our citizens.” — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Federal financial authorities continue to publish monthly FAAC breakdown figures to encourage transparency and enable citizens to hold state and local governments accountable for performance.
Ayodele Quadri
Correspondent
