Keypoints
- The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has commenced a nationwide data verification exercise.
- The initiative aims to validate the accuracy of data used for sharing revenue among states and local government areas (LGAs).
- The exercise is backed by Paragraph 32(b) of Part I of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.
- Updated indices will account for population shifts, infrastructure expansion, and evolving socio-economic needs.
- Kebbi State has pledged full support, with officials instructed to provide all necessary logistics and data.
Main Story
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has officially inaugurated a nationwide data verification exercise to ensure the integrity of indices used in the distribution of federation revenue.
Speaking at the commencement of the exercise in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday, RMAFC Commissioner Prof. Adekunle Wright stated that the verification is essential for aligning revenue allocation with current socio-economic realities.
The process involves a comprehensive review of data related to population shifts, infrastructure development, and other evolving needs across the 36 states and 774 local government areas.
The commission is executing this task under its constitutional mandate to periodically review the revenue allocation formula.
The exercise follows a 2022 capacity-building programme designed to equip state and local officials with the skills necessary for data gathering and management.
In Kebbi, the RMAFC delegation is working with ministries, departments, and agencies to collect credible data, emphasizing that the outcome will have significant fiscal implications for both the state and the federation.
The Issues
- Inaccurate or outdated data can lead to inequities in the distribution of federal revenue among different tiers of government.
- Rapid population shifts and infrastructure expansion since the last review have made existing allocation indices less reflective of current needs.
- The success of the verification depends on the full cooperation and transparency of state and local government authorities in providing sensitive data.
What’s Being Said
- “It has become necessary to validate the integrity and accuracy of the data that inform revenue distribution across the federation,” said Prof. Adekunle Wright, RMAFC Commissioner.
- “Our teams have been carefully selected and trained to carry out this assignment with the highest level of integrity, in line with national and international best practices,” Wright added.
- “Data is critical to our quest for sustainable development and improved livelihoods for our people,” stated Sen. Abubakar Umar-Tafida, Kebbi Deputy Governor.
What’s Next
- RMAFC teams will continue working closely with local authorities to finalize data collection across all states.
- The validated data will be used to compute new revenue allocation indices to be presented for federal approval.
- State governments are expected to sensitize their relevant departments to ensure continuous compliance with the commission’s data requirements.
Bottom Line
The RMAFC verification exercise seeks to modernize Nigeria’s revenue-sharing framework by replacing outdated statistics with validated data on infrastructure and population.
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