Radda: FG Controls 52% of Revenue, Stop Blaming Governors

Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda has called on Nigerians to stop placing the blame solely on state governors for the country’s worsening economic hardship, stating that the Federal Government controls more than half of the federation’s monthly revenue.

In an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) Hausa on Tuesday, Radda explained that the revenue-sharing formula leaves state and local governments struggling to meet rising demands.

“Whenever there is hardship, people blame governors and local governments. But when revenue is shared, 52 per cent goes to the Federal Government. It is the remaining 48 per cent that is shared among the 36 states and 774 local governments,” Radda said. He questioned the management of the bulk of the funds received by the Federal Government over the years, asking, “For decades, the Federal Government has been receiving the larger share of federation revenue. So the question Nigerians should be asking is: where has the bulk of that money gone?”

The Governor also addressed allegations of corruption against state officials, warning against generalisations. “Leadership is about individual integrity. It is wrong to generalise and label everyone the same way. Public office holders would ultimately be held accountable for their actions,” he said.

Despite prevailing economic challenges, Radda defended his administration’s continued investment in capital projects, emphasising that infrastructure development helps stimulate the grassroots economy through job creation. “When you execute capital projects, you create jobs and bring money down to the people at the grassroots because labourers earn wages, food vendors make sales, and suppliers benefit,” he said.

According to Radda, the impact of these projects is already visible across Katsina State’s local government areas. “If you go to the local governments today, you will see a lot of economic activity because funds have reached the communities,” he said.