Okonjo-Iweala urges new & re-elected Governors to Increase IGR, pay teachers & pensioners

Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged Nigerian new & re-elected governors to avoid piling up debts on their states and to prioritise citizens’ welfare if they want to have successful tenures as governors.

In an address at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) induction ceremony at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Okonjo-Iweala, a former finance minister and minister of finance during the Obasanjo and Jonathan administrations, emphasized the importance of prudent financial management for state governments and urged governors to prioritize the payment of teachers, healthcare workers, and pensioners, while investing in infrastructure, education, and basic healthcare.

Highlighting the need for increased internally generated revenue (IGR), Okonjo-Iweala suggested that governors should focus on transparency and efficiency in their financial practices. She also encouraged them to publish information about the federation revenue allocation and IGR, to enable citizens to have a clear understanding of their state’s financial situation.

Citing data analysis from the National Bureau of Statistics and Budgit, Okonjo-Iweala revealed that a majority of states rely heavily on federal allocations for revenue. In fact, for 33 states, federal allocations account for the majority of their revenue, with 13 of those states depending on monthly impact allocations for approximately 70 percent of their revenue.

She said, while I commend those states that have made additional efforts, governors need to do much more. States must figure out ways to increase IGR. This goes hand in hand with using your 48 percent share of federal allocations more transparently, efficiently and effectively.

You must share with your state citizens how much FAAC allocation you receive each month, how much IGR you collect, and how you spend it. We used to publish this information routinely during my time as finance minister under Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan. We must resume this practice so your citizens can hold you accountable.

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