- Commission Says Proposals Have Reached Advanced Stage for Consideration
- 17 Oil Wells Moved From Imo to Rivers Following Supreme Court Judgment
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, has completed its review of Nigeria’s revenue allocation formula, alongside the review of remuneration for political, public and judicial office holders.
The Chairman of the commission, Dr Mohammed Shehu, disclosed this in Abuja, according to a statement issued on Saturday by the Head of its Information and Public Relations Unit, Hajia Maryam Yusuf.
Shehu said the proposals from the two major reviews had reached advanced stages and would be presented to the relevant authorities for consideration.
He made the disclosure while outlining the commission’s achievements and institutional progress from 2023 to date, during which he said RMAFC had undertaken a number of fiscal and administrative reforms aimed at strengthening its constitutional responsibilities.
According to him, the commission’s work had focused largely on improving revenue monitoring, verifying derivation payments and strengthening fiscal coordination among the three tiers of government.
“This mandate is on revenue monitoring, derivation verification and fiscal coordination.
“The commission has improved data integrity, enhanced inter-agency collaboration and promoted equitable distribution of national revenue among the three tiers of government.”
Revenue Sharing Formula Gets Fresh Review
The review of the revenue allocation formula is one of the commission’s major assignments in recent years.
Shehu said the exercise involved consultations with the federal, state and local governments, technical stakeholders and Nigerians across the country.
He said the commission examined fiscal responsibilities, revenue trends and the experiences of other federal systems before arriving at a harmonised report and legislative proposals.
The proposals, he added, are now ready for transmission to the appropriate authorities.
“The objective is to establish a more equitable and sustainable revenue-sharing framework reflecting current economic and governance realities.”
The review comes against the backdrop of continued debate over the distribution of federally collected revenue and the financial responsibilities of the three tiers of government.
New Pay Structure For Political Office Holders
RMAFC has also completed its review of remuneration for judicial office holders, a process that resulted in the Judicial Office Holders Salaries and Allowances Act, 2025.
Shehu said the review of salaries and allowances for executive and legislative office holders had also reached an advanced stage.
According to him, an executive bill on the Political and Public Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances) Act, 2026, is expected to be transmitted to the National Assembly.
The commission, however, said improved remuneration must go hand in hand with accountability and better performance by public officials.
“The remuneration reforms must be matched with accountability and performance. Improved pay should translate into improved service delivery,” he said.
17 Oil Wells Reallocated From Imo To Rivers
On petroleum revenue, the RMAFC chairman said the commission had intensified the monitoring of oil and gas production data to ensure that the constitutional 13 per cent derivation principle was properly applied.
He said the commission had relied on verification exercises, geospatial mapping and cooperation with other government agencies to resolve disputes over the attribution of oil wells.
One of the major outcomes, according to Shehu, was the reallocation of 17 oil wells from Imo to Rivers State in compliance with a Supreme Court judgment.
He said similar interventions had been undertaken in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Imo and Anambra states.
The commission also reported progress in gas production monitoring, saying improved reporting had enabled Enugu and Kogi states to benefit from derivation revenues.
RMAFC Steps Up Collaboration With Oil Agencies
To strengthen revenue monitoring in the petroleum sector, the commission has expanded its collaboration with key industry regulators and operators.
Shehu listed the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC; Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd., NNPCL; and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, among the agencies with which RMAFC is working more closely.
The commission is also collaborating with the National Boundary Commission and the Office of the Surveyor-General.
Shehu said RMAFC was engaging the Ministry of Defence over issues surrounding crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and production losses, all of which have implications for government revenue.
Commission Looks Beyond Oil
With the country’s revenue base still heavily exposed to developments in the petroleum sector, RMAFC is also looking for opportunities outside oil.
Shehu said the commission was exploring new revenue sources through partnerships with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and the National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA.
The partnerships include the use of satellite and geospatial technologies to identify additional revenue opportunities.
The move, according to the commission, is part of efforts to improve revenue mobilisation by making better use of available data and technology.
Staff Welfare, Infrastructure Receive Attention
Shehu also highlighted improvements within the commission itself, including the rehabilitation of critical facilities, stronger security systems and ongoing renovation of its headquarters.
Staff welfare, he said, had also received attention through improved healthcare services, training and capacity development programmes.
The initiatives are designed to strengthen the technical capacity of staff and improve the commission’s ability to perform its constitutional duties.
RMAFC Seeks Stronger Media Partnership
The chairman also spoke about the commission’s engagement with the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, describing it as part of efforts to improve transparency and deepen public understanding of RMAFC’s responsibilities.
He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to proactive communication, data-driven reforms and closer engagement with the media.
According to him, effective communication is necessary to promote greater accountability in the management and distribution of public revenue.
The Chairman of RMAFC’s Public Affairs and Communication Committee, Mr Ismail Agaka, also commended the media for its contribution to democratic accountability.
Agaka reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to sustained engagement with stakeholders.
With the revenue allocation review completed and proposals on the remuneration of political and public office holders approaching the next stage, attention will now turn to the relevant authorities to determine how the recommendations will be considered and implemented.
The bigger issue for RMAFC is whether the proposed changes will translate into a fairer distribution of national resources, stronger accountability and a fiscal system capable of meeting the changing demands of Nigeria’s economy.
