News
Again, Rivers Ranks First In Fiscal Performance
Again, Rivers State Government has retained its overall fiscal performance position for the third consecutive time.
It ranked first in 2020 and 2021 among the 36 states in Nigeria.
Kaduna and Cross River states made it to the top five, Yobe dropped to the bottom five, having fallen 13 places from 21st last year to the 34th position this year.
BudgIT, a civic-tech organisation leading the advocacy for fiscal transparency and accountability, rated Rivers ahead of others in the 2022 edition of its annual State of States report titled: “Sustainable Governance Reforms for a New Era”.
BudgIT’s Research and Policy Advisory Lead, IniobongUsen, said the report, which is BudgIT’s signature analysis, assessed and ranked the fiscal performance of all 36 states, from the most sustainable to the least sustainable.
Usen stated that for the 2022 edition, all 36 states were ranked using five metrics.
Index A examines states’ ability to meet Operating Expenses (Recurrent Expenditure) with only their Internally Generated Revenue; Index A1 looks at the percentage year-on-year growth of each state’s Internally Generated Revenue.
He said: “Index B reviews states’ ability to cover all operating expenses and loan repayment obligations with their Total Revenue (Internally Generated Revenue + Statutory Transfers + Aids and Grants) without resorting to borrowing.
“Index C estimates the debt sustainability of the states using four major indicators: Debt as a percentage of GDP; debt as a percentage of revenue; debt service as a percentage of revenue; and personnel cost as a percentage of revenue.
“Index D evaluates the degree to which each state is prioritising capital expenditure with respect to their operating expenses (recurrent expenditure).”
Commendably, BudgIT noted that cumulative spending on capital expenditure by the 36 states grew by 52.52percent from N1.77trillion in 2020 to N2.70trillion in 2021.
Eight states increased the capital expenditure year-on-year by more than 100per cent, however, just five states, Anambra, Ebonyi, Cross River, Kaduna, Rivers, prioritised capital expenditure over operation expenses, signalling the prioritisation of investments in infrastructure, job creation, and human capital development.
BudgIT narrated that the operating expenses of Yobe and Bayelsa (the least ranked states on Index A) was more than seven times the revenues generated by both states Internally, reinforcing the heavy reliance on federal transfers and budget support to fund their budgets.
On Index A1, save for three states which ranked the least, Anambra, Kogi and Kebbi; 33 states experienced an increase in their IGR from the previous year, with 13 states growing their IGR by more than 50per cent.
Jigawa, Delta, Ebonyi, AkwaIbom and Nasarawa ranked first to fifth respectively on Index C which assessed the debt sustainability of the 36 states.
Cross River, Ogun, Imo, Osun, Plateau were the bottom five states on Index C.
Lagos State, with a capital importation of $31.78billion between 2019 and 2021, received 99.19per cent of the cumulative capital importation for 36 states of the federation.
Interestingly, 11 states received no capital importation between 2019 and 2021.
On debt sustainability, Usen said the cumulative debt stock of the 36 states grew by 8.68per cent from N5.86trillion in 2020 to N6.37trillion in 2021.
A more disaggregated view of the subnational debt shows that 11 states reduced their total debt liability, with Delta State having the most impressive decline of N33.84trillion.
BudgIT noted that Kogi State, with a foreign debt year-on-year growth of N85.65trillion, ranked first among the 17 states that grew foreign debt in 2021.
The four states with the highest dollar-denominated debt ($250 million and above), Lagos, Kaduna, Cross River and Edo, are the most susceptible to exchange rate volatility.
“The cumulative expenditure of the 36 states increased rose by 27per cent (from N5.23trillion in 2020 to N6.64trillion) in 2021. Notwithstanding, while 31 states increased their total expenditure from the previous year, fivestates reduced their expenditure—with Zamfara having the highest decline of 15.59per cent”, the report said.
BudgIT said the cumulative personnel cost of the 36 states grew by 5.38per cent from N1.46trillion in 2020 to N1.54trillion in 2021.
It said nine states reduced their overhead cost from the previous year, signalling a reduction in the cost of governance.
Conversely, 11 states increased their overhead cost from the previous year by more than 40per cent, with AkwaIbom having the highest growth.
Usen added: “On fiscal transparency, the 36 states of the federation currently publish in a timely manner their proposed budgets, approved budgets, budget implementation reports, audited financial statements for both the states and the local governments.
“In the same vein, many states have enacted an Audit Law that grants operational and financial autonomy to the Offices of Auditors-General of the State and Local Governments, thereby empowering their supreme audit institutions to effectively hold governments accountable.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.