The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has disclosed that a total of N1.178 trillion was disbursed to Local Government Councils (LGCs) across Nigeria between January and March 2025.
According to data published on the OAGF website, N360.859 billion was disbursed in January, followed by N430.2 billion in February. While the official website is yet to reflect the figures for March, a statement by the OAGF’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Bawa Mokwa, confirmed that N387.002 billion was released for the month.
A breakdown of the allocations shows Lagos State received the highest amount in both January and February, with N36.532 billion and N41.923 billion respectively. Kano State followed with N19.553 billion in January and N23.32 billion in February. Rivers, Oyo, Katsina, and Akwa Ibom also ranked high on the list.
The cumulative disbursement highlights the scale of federal allocations to the grassroots tier of government. However, concerns remain about transparency and effective use of these funds. Allegations of fund mismanagement and corruption at the local level persist.
The issue of financial autonomy for local governments continues to be a major point of debate. In July 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that federal allocations must be paid directly to democratically elected local governments, in line with Section 162(3) of the Nigerian Constitution.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Emmanuel Agim declared it unconstitutional for state governments to withhold local government funds, emphasizing the need for greater decentralization and grassroots development.
Despite this ruling, many local governments have yet to achieve full control over their finances, and signs of underdevelopment remain widespread across rural communities in Nigeria.
Saharareporters
