The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) today commenced the process of reviewing the current revenue allocation formula for the three tiers of government in the country with a two-day public hearing in Lagos.
Currently the sharing arrangement allocates the Federal Government 52.68 percent of the revenue, states 26.72 percent and the local governments 20.60 percent.
A statement issued by the commission on the exercise indicated that the exercise would start with a two-day public hearing scheduled for 4th and 5th October in Lagos for the South-West zone covering Lagos, Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo and Osun States
According to the RMAFC, the current review will only focus on vertical allocation, which covers allocation to the federal, states and local governments and does not imply reduction in the cost of governance.
The commission stated the review was pursuant to its constitutional mandate that empowers it to “review from time to time, the revenue allocation formula and principles in operation to ensure conformity with changing realities”.
The public hearing schedule also shows that the South-South zone covering Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta and Edo States will be held hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on October 7, and October 8.
The South East zone hearing, covering Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states, will hold in Owerri, Imo State, on 11 and 12 October, participants are expected from.
In addition, the public hearing schedule for the North West, covering Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna and Zamfara States, will be held in Kaduna, Kaduna State on 13-14 October 2021.
The public hearing for the North Central zone, comprising Benue, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau States will be held in Lokoja, Kogi State, on 19th and 20th October .
In the North East zone, comprising Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe States, the public hearing will hold in Gombe, Gombe State on 21 and 22 October.
In the Federal Capital Territory, the public hearing will hold on 25 and 26 October.
Participants at the zonal public hearings are expected from states executives, legislatures, judiciary, local government officials, civil society groups, organized labour, elder statesmen, traditional rulers, and the general public.
The Commission urged “stakeholders” to effectively participate in the public hearing events and to submit five hard copies of their memoranda and soft copies of the proposed review to Abuja headquarters during the hearings.
