WorldStage— In a major bid to curb corruption and ensure accountability at the sub-national levels of government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the monitoring of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements to Nigeria’s 36 states and 774 local government areas by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The presidential directive marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s anti-graft strategy, transitioning from a reactive model focused on post-facto investigation to a proactive framework centered on preventing the diversion of public funds.
The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, disclosed the presidential approval during the commissioning of the anti-graft agency’s new Zonal Directorate in Awka, Anambra State.
Olukoyede emphasized that the initiative will bring unprecedented transparency to how federally distributed revenues are managed after they leave the central coffers.
Under the new mandate, the commission is tasked with deploying continuous intelligence monitoring to track the movement and precise utilization of these funds.
This tracking initiative comes at a critical time when sub-national allocations have surged exponentially.
Following key macroeconomic reforms initiated by the Tinubu administration—most notably the removal of the petrol subsidy and foreign exchange unification—revenues distributed by FAAC have hit historic highs.
For instance, in a single month recently, FAAC shared N2.338 trillion, with state governments receiving N794.313 billion and local government councils taking in N555.142 billion.
Public pressure has steadily mounted on governors and local chairmen to match these inflated revenues with visible grassroots development.
The presidential nod also aligns with the recent Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments, ensuring that the liberated funds are protected from predatory state-level joint accounts.
To complement the EFCC’s on-the-ground intelligence tracking, the Federal Government previously announced plans to launch a central transparency portal.
This public platform will allow regular citizens to monitor local budgets, allocations, and audited financial statements directly.
By combining digital public tracking with active EFCC oversight, the administration aims to ensure that sub-national leaders utilize the enhanced revenues exclusively for infrastructure, healthcare, education, and the general welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
