A nationwide data verification exercise to review the factors and proxies used in the sharing of revenue among states and local governments has commenced.
The revenue allocation framework initiative is being conducted by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
The goal is to ensure that the distribution of national resources accurately reflects the current socio-economic realities across the federation, a statement signed by the organisation’s Head of Information and Public Relations Unit, Ms Maryam Umar Yusuf, stated.
In the statement issued on Thursday, the chairman of the commission, Mr Mohammed Bello Shehu, was said to have posited that the exercise would strengthen fiscal federalism and enhance national development planning across the country.
According to him, credible and verified data remains the foundation of a fair and sustainable revenue allocation system.
“The commission is committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s revenue allocation framework reflects the realities on the ground. Accurate data is the backbone of fairness, equity, and national cohesion.
“This nationwide exercise represents our determination to build a more transparent and responsive revenue distribution system that serves the interests of all Nigerians,” he noted.
Mr Shehu urged the state governments, local authorities, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, and community leaders to provide full cooperation to the agency’s verification teams, emphasising that the outcomes of the programme will have far-reaching implications for national planning, fiscal management, and balanced regional development across the federation.
As part of its nationwide rollout strategy, it has scheduled region-by-region data verification exercises across all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The exercise will involve systematic collection, validation, and reconciliation of critical socio-economic and infrastructural data used in determining revenue allocation indices for horizontal revenue sharing.
It was disclosed that the focus would be on key indicators like education and health provision, internal revenue generation capacity, and infrastructure development across the states and local government areas.
Stakeholder engagement sessions will also be conducted in each state to ensure transparency, build trust, and promote collaborative participation among government agencies and local communities.
Nigeria’s revenue allocation framework relies on specific indices, including those of population, landmass, infrastructure, and socio-economic development indicators, all of which must be periodically reviewed to reflect changing realities.