NEITI ES
Waziri Adio
NEITI ES
Waziri Adio
NEITI: FAAC Disbursements increased by 32% to N8.5
Trillion in 2018
The Federation Allocation Account Committee (FAAC) disbursed
N8.5 trillion to the three tiers of government and others, the
first time since 2014, that disbursements would exceed N2 trillion
in three consecutive quarters.
The total of N8.52 trillion shared among the three tiers of
government in 2018 represents 32.8% increase when compared to
N6.418 trillion disbursed in 2017 and 67.1% higher than N5.1
trillion shared in 2016.
A further breakdown of the FAAC disbursements showed that the
Federal Government received N3.483 trillion in 2018 representing
41% while the 36 States received the sum of N2.85 trillion,
representing 33.4% and the 774 local governments got N1.667
trillion, representing 19.6%.
These pieces of information and data are contained in the latest
edition of NEITI Quarterly Review which analysed disbursements from
FAAC in 2018 and made revenue projections for 2019.
The NEITI publication observed that government revenues have
continued to be on the increase since 2017. “The rebound in
federation revenue continued as a result of increases in both oil
and non-oil revenue”, the review stated.
A quarterly breakdown of disbursements in 2018 showed a steady
increase in the amount disbursed throughout the year. For instance,
in the first quarter of the year, FAAC shared N1.938 trillion,
while N2.008 trillion was disbursed in the second quarter.
Disbursements in the third and fourth quarters were N2.278 trillion
and N2.299 trillion respectively.
The NEITI review disclosed that: “there were three consecutive
quarters in 2018 when total disbursements exceeded N2 trillion”,
observing that the last time this happened was in the third quarter
of 2014.
The publication also stated that: “with the exception of the
third quarter of 2017, the N2.299 trillion disbursed in the fourth
quarter of 2018 was the highest quarterly disbursement since the
second quarter of 2014”.
On the states’ share of the FAAC disbursements, the review
disclosed that five states received higher than N100 billion each
in 2018. The States were Lagos (N119 billion), Bayelsa (N153.1
billion), Rivers (N172.6 billion), Akwa Ibom (N202.4 billion),
Delta (N213.6 billion).
The NEITI publication further disclosed that twenty-three states
received less than N60 billion each as total FAAC receipts in 2018.
A break down shows that Cross River, Ekiti and Ogun states received
N37 billion, N39.3 billion and N39.6 billion respectively. Eight
states namely: Zamfara, Gombe, Plateau, Kwara, Ebonyi, Nasarawa,
Taraba, and Adamawa, received between N40 billion and N49.9
billion.
Twelve states received between N50 billion and N59.9 billion:
Yobe, Enugu, Kogi, Bauchi, Imo, Sokoto, Kebbi, Anambra, Abia,
Benue, Niger and Oyo. In addition, six states (Jigawa, Katsina,
Borno, Ondo, Kaduna, and Edo) received between N60 billion and
N69.9 billion. It further disclosed that Kano State received a
total of N84.2 billion in 2018.
A close look at the disbursements to states indicated a wide
disparity, with Osun State receiving the lowest net allocation of
N22.8billion while Delta State received the highest net allocation
of N213.6 billion, ‘‘meaning net disbursement to Delta State was
935% of Osun State’s,” the NEITI review added.
The NEITI publication however noted with concern that despite
the upward trajectory in FAAC disbursements to the three tiers of
government, the disbursements were inadequate to meet states’
budgetary requirements.
“Clearly, there was no state that could adequately finance its
budget solely from FAAC disbursements. There were three states
where FAAC disbursements were more than 50% of their budgets:
Delta, Enugu, Yobe. For all other states, disbursements were less
than 50% of their budgets”, the NEITI publication noted.
On internally generated revenues (IGR), the NEITI review further
remarked that it was highly unlikely that IGR would be able to make
up for the shortfall in FAAC disbursements to states.
From the review, only four states (Cross River, Lagos, Ogun and
Rivers) had estimated IGR that was more than 50% of their FAAC
allocations. Out of these states, only Lagos and Ogun had IGR that
was actually higher than their FAAC allocations.
The NEITI review further revealed that estimated IGR in six
states (Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Osun, Oyo) was more than 40% of
their FAAC allocations. The review noted that for these ten states
listed, there is a probability that actual IGR may be sufficient to
address the budgetary gaps in FAAC disbursements.
On revenue projection in 2019, NEITI Quarterly Review predicts
an upward trend in revenue receipts into the government coffers
from oil and gas sector as well as the attendant increases in FAAC
disbursements.
“FAAC disbursements will increase further in 2019. This is
largely due to expected increase in Nigeria’s oil production and
further consolidation of efforts by OPEC to keep oil prices from
falling”, the NEITI publication stated.
“With the concerted efforts by the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries to limit oil production, coupled with sanctions
on Iran and Venezuela oil exports, it is expected that oil prices
will not fall to the very low levels experienced from 2014 to
2017”, it further explained.
At the domestic level, NEITI is optimistic that oil production
will increase in 2019 given the take-off of Egina offshore field,
which started production in December 2018, with optimum production
capacity of 200,000 barrels per day.
“…production from this field and other shut-in fields whose
production is expected to come back on-stream will increase the
nation’s oil production,” the NEITI review observed.
The NEITI Quarterly Review is designed to provide timely
information and data as tool to support citizens’ engagement,
advocacy, constructive debate, information sharing and
enlightenment in tracking the utilization of extractive revenue
funds for purposes of development. The publication released today
is the 10th issue of the NEITI Quarterly Review, which was started
in late 2016 as one of NEITI’s new policy and advocacy
instruments.
Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji
Director, Communications and Advocacy