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FG Records N3.05trn Fiscal Deficit In Eight Months
The Federal Government recorded a fiscal deficit of N3.05trillion in its operations between January and August this year; figures obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have shown.
The 2019 budget signed by President Muhammadu Buhari had capital expenditure of N2.09trillion, recurrent expenditure of N4.05trillion, statutory transfers of N502billion, and special intervention of N500billion.
The budget also had debt service of N2.25trillion. Out of this figure, N1.7trillion was approved for domestic debts, while the sum of N433billion was provided for foreign debts.
Similarly, the sum of N110billion was approved for sinking fund to retire maturing debt obligations.
To fund the budget, the Federal Government had planned to generate the sum of N7trillion as revenue.
This is made up of N3.69trillion from oil sources, while N3.31trillion is projected as revenue from non-oil sources.
Details of the fiscal operations of the Federal Government as contained in the CBN economic report for August this year showed that the government had not been able to generate adequate revenue to meet its expenditure.
For example, the Federal Government’s retained revenue was put at N343.4billion in January while its expenditure was N868.3billion.
This resulted in a deficit of N524.9billion.
For the month of February, March and April, the Federal Government’s retained revenue was put at N318.1billion, N392.2billion and N386.2billion while expenditure was put at N1.09trillion, N532.3billion and N1trillion, respectively.
This resulted in fiscal deficits of N780.1billion, N140.1billion and N618.9billion, respectively.
For the months of May, June and July, the Federal Government based on the CBN data recorded revenue of N279.7billion, N310.6billion and N381.8billion while expenditure was put at N499.5billion, N814.5billion and N490.9billion, respectively.
The fiscal deficit during the period was put at N219.8billion, N503.9billion and N109.1billion, respectively.
In the month of August, the government’s revenue was estimated at N308.1billion while the total expenditure incurred during the period was N464.3billion.
This resulted in a deficit of N156.2billion during the period.
The report read in part, “At N464.31billion, the estimated total expenditure of the Federal Government was below the monthly budget estimate of N865.31billion by 46.3 per cent.
“It was also below the N490.87billion recorded in the preceding month by 5.4 per cent.
“A breakdown showed that recurrent and capital expenditure constituted 75.5 per cent and 18.6 per cent of the total expenditure, respectively, while transfers constituted 5.9 per cent in the review period.
“Of the recurrent expenditure, non-debt obligation was 69.3 per cent, while debt service payments accounted for 30.7 per cent of the total.
“Consequently, the fiscal operations of the Federal Government resulted in a deficit of N156.18billion, compared with the monthly budget deficit of N159.87billion.”
The Senior Economist, World Bank, Yue Man Lee, said the implications of having low revenue was that the amount Nigeria could spend on human development would be restricted.
Lee while speaking during the unveiling of a report by the BudgIT on state governments’ sustainability in Abuja said over the years, the fiscal capacity of government at all levels to generate the needed revenue to finance their operations had reduced.
She said, “The broader fiscal challenge that Nigeria faces is low revenue that constrains the budget envelop.
“This, when put in plain terms, is how much revenue that is available to spend on public service and investments in human capital.
“Nigeria is spending, and government spending as a percentage to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is way lower than other countries at similar income per capital level. And the reason behind this is because of the exceptionally low revenue that Nigeria collects.”
Lee said with the country having revenue to Gross Domestic Product ratio of about eight per cent, there was a need to come up with measures to boost revenue.
She said the low level of government spending on capital projects contributed to low level of development outcomes.
Also, the Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said there might be a central challenge in the realisation of the revenue and funding needed to implement the 2019 budget.
This, according to him, is against the background of the revelation by the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, that only 55 per cent of the 2018 revenue projection was realised.
He said the revenue underperformance followed the trajectory in previous years where the Federal Government consistently failed to realise its budgeted revenue.
A group of Eminent persons from the Niger Delta region under the aegis of The Niger Delta Watch Dog has warned the Federal Government against yielding to the call to decentralize pipeline surveillance in the region.
The Eminent persons who said this in a press release made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt said those calling for decentralization of pipeline surveillance are ignorant of the dangers it poses to the peace and stability of the Niger Delta.
.They argued that the proposal poses significant risk to the peace security and economic stability of the region.
According to the release” While decentralization is often perceived as a means of promoting inclusivity and local participation, in this specific context it poses significant risks to peace, security, and economic stability.
It further said”evidence from community dynamics across the region suggests that decentralization will cause more harm than good, leading to increased conflict, fragmentation of authority, and heightened threats to critical national infrastructure.
“By contrast, the centralized model currently implemented by Tantita Security Services under the leadership of Government Ekpemupolo Tompolo has demonstrated measurable success in stabilizing the region, reducing conflict, and safeguarding Nigeria’s economic lifelines”
While describing the Niger Delta region as the backbone of Nigeria oil and gas, it added that any changes in policy will lead to crisis in the region.
“The Niger Delta region remains the backbone of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, hosting extensive pipeline networks that are vital to national revenue and economic sustainability.
“Given the sensitive nature of this infrastructure, the framework through which pipeline security is managed must prioritize stability, coordination, and conflict prevention.
“Any policy shift particularly toward decentralization must therefore be carefully evaluated in light of the region’s socio-political realities”
It said
The release jointly signed by Chief Idowu Asonja ,Ellington Pokumo the Public Relations officer of the group Comrade Douye kojo Isoun and others,
said decentralization will lead to escalation of Inter-Community land dispute, intensifies rivalry between groups as well as heightens the struggle against Territorial control among others.
“Decentralizing pipeline security will likely intensify existing disputes between neighbouring communities as many communities in the Niger Delta have been involved in conflicts over Land ownership and territorial boundaries as well as Control of natural resources and
“Claims over oil pipelines passing through their territories” adding
“Such instability not only disrupts social harmony but also directly endangers pipeline infrastructure, increasing the risk of vandalism, sabotage, and production losses”
It said the gains recorded so far by the present centralization policy should be preserve as any shifts could wrecked havoc in the region.
“Any policy shift must preserve these hard-earned gains. At this time, decentralization presents a significant risk, while the current system continues to offer stability, security, and economic assurance for the nation.
“It is therefore strongly advised that the Federal Government of Nigeria carefully scrutinize and ultimately disregard calls for the decentralization of pipeline security contracts. “Available evidence and prevailing realities suggest that such calls may not be driven by the broader national interest, but rather by narrow, self-serving agendas that could reignite conflict within the region, this we know the Government does not need” the group said
The Director-General of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency (RSIPA), Dr. Chamberlain Peterside, has used the platform of the revived BRACED Commission to unveil investment opportunities and plans in Rivers State.
The BRACED Commission just bounced back and has already held a roundtable in Port Harcourt preparatory to an economic summit in the near future.
The roundtable featured the investment promotion agencies of the cooperating states: Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, and Delta states.
Dr Peterside not only chaired the roundtable but made presentations for Rivers State economic landscape.
He hailed the rebound of the BRACED Commission which did well at the onset. “The governors of the region were one and united for one cause. Then, politics came and everything scattered. The agenda is simple, to integrate the economy of the region into one strong bloc.”
He admitted that Rivers State’s investment promotion agency is very young, plus six months in the limbo of state of emergency. “This thus is a very unique opportunity to get resurgent momentum.”
He listed the achievements of RSIPA in the short period since its establishment, saying it has received numerous investment proposals.
“We’ve engaged actively with the private sector, both those currently operating in the state and those intending to invest. We do realize the fact that investment begins from domestic investors. and you have to guide them.
“Through outreach programmes and establishment of a One-Stop-Center (OSC), we have created a streamlined system for addressing investor needs, supporting their business operations. For the first time in Rivers State, prospective investors and small and medium enterprises now have a centralized hub that can address their challenges and find solutions that enable them to thrive.”
He outlined the plans ahead thus: “One of our cardinal focuses at RSIPA is to enhance the operating climate and improve the ease of doing business.
“We are committed to creating a vibrant and business-friendly environment that attracts and retains investment. We are also working closely with other ministries, departments, and agencies to harmonize our activities.
“Collaboration for us is key; we see Rivers State as a single ecosystem where all stakeholders work together to support investment inflow and build a favorable environment for businesses to flourish.”
For the region, he lamented the situation whereby “the carpet is shifting under our feet. The IOCs (international oil corporations) have moved offshore. The issue before us now is how should the region act now. We should target big ticket investment proposals. This is because some proposals will involve other states. There is thus need to collaborate.”
He gave examples of projects that cannot be for one state. “Railway system is not for one state. At the moment, there is no railway line that links Benin to Port Harcourt to Calabar. BRACED can push this agenda.
“There is an oil route from Opobo to Akwa Ibom where Sterling Oil is operating. It’s a route of interest. Governor Sim Fubara wants us to synergise with other states economically. The best time is now because all the governors are now in one political party.”
He called on all the agencies in the BRACED states to sell the idea to their governors.
“Let the governors know that BRACED task is not a competition but as a collaboration. We have the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the South-South Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (SSCCIMA), the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines, and Agriculture (NDCCITMA), etc. This is the ripest time to strike the iron.”
The Director General of the Bayelsa Investment Promotion Agency (BIPA), Mrs. Patience Ranami Abah, also shook the floor when she presented what she termed ‘Closing the Value Capture Gap’.
She showed how the states will win bigger by playing together to present an economic front.
David Franklin, a deputy director, who represented the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Abuja, said investment in people is the beginning of prosperity.
“The South-South is the hub of power of Nigeria due to the hydrocarbon industry, blue economy, agriculture, tourism, etc.”
The Director General, BRACED Commission, Amb.Joe Keshi, in his welcome remarks, said the roundtable was themed around synchrosnising investment frontiers in a strategic framework for south-south economic integration.
The roundtable ended with a communique that recommended setting up a monitoring committee, and other organs to drive integration and investment.
Some of the key resolutions in the Communique issued at the end of the two-day symposium included the call for a BRACED Investment Promotion Charter with a harmonized Regional Investment Promotion Framework and a roadmap.
The Communique called for infrastructure alignment, uniform economic reforms, human capital development plan, and a technical oversight group.
The communique urged state governments, investors, and development partners to collaborate in transforming the BRACED states into a beacon of economic dynamism.
The Defence Headquarters has placed troops on nationwide alert ahead of the Easter celebrations, assuring Nigerians of tightened security.
The DHQ also reaffirmed that ongoing support from the United States is strengthening counter-terrorism operations, with a visible impact expected in the coming weeks.
Addressing journalists during the end-of-the-month briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Michael Onoja, assured citizens of heightened vigilance by troops during the Easter celebrations.
Onoja said the Armed Forces had already placed personnel on alert nationwide to prevent any security breach during the holiday period.
He added that similar measures were implemented during previous festive seasons, including Christmas and Eid-el-Fitr, and would be sustained.
“We know that festive seasons usually have heightened security activities. The military command gives instructions to ensure all personnel are on alert. This time will not be different,” he said.
He emphasised that security agencies would not relax despite the celebrations, noting that adversaries often attempted to exploit such periods.
“I can assure you that we will always be on alert, particularly at this period of festivities, because we know that the threats expect us to relax.
“But we are not going to relax. Everything will be okay for this Easter,” he added.
Speaking on the ongoing collaboration with the US forces, Onoja said the impact of the collaboration may not be immediately visible due to the nature of military engagements, but expressed confidence that the benefits would become evident in the coming weeks and months.
He said the U.S. support to Nigeria’s operations had been significant, particularly in the areas of intelligence sharing and training, noting that the assistance was being provided on favourable terms to strengthen ongoing counter-threat operations.
According to him, “You are aware that they are bringing intelligence and training support to us, which we need. They are giving that to us on very favourable terms. There are lots of things I cannot say because of confidentiality.”
He added that the intelligence being provided included information on the location of threats and hostile elements, stressing that Nigerian troops would act accordingly.
“All we can say is that these things take time. There is a gestation period when we are conducting military operations.
“You will not see it immediately, but in the next few months or weeks, you will feel the difference in the impact of the assistance that the U.S. is providing,” Onoja stated.
On February 16, 2026, DHQ confirmed the arrival of approximately 100 US military personnel and equipment at Bauchi Airfield.
According to the military high command, the personnel, who are not combat troops, were in Nigeria strictly for technical assistance, training, and advisory roles in counter-terrorism efforts.
However, insecurity has continued to surge in several parts of the country since their deployment, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the collaboration.