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LG Autonomy: RMAFC Chairman Applauds President Tinubu

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2024

… Describes the Supreme Court Judgement as a landmark achievement.

Joel Ajayi

The Chairman Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Muhammed Shehu Bello OFR, has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his remarkable and thoughtful effort that culminated in the recent Supreme Court judgement which affirmed the autonomy of the Local Government Councils in Nigeria.

The Chairman made the commendation while addressing members of the Board and management staff of the Commission during a sensitisation meeting held at the organisation’s auditorium.

The Chairman recalled the prestige attached to the position of Local Government Chairmen and the impactful contributions they made to the development of the grassroots in the past when they exercised their autonomy.

He gave a brief history on how the three tiers of government functioned in the past, which made the position of the Local Government Chairman and Councilors worthy of being sought after by credible people. . He stated that RMAFC was solidly behind the decision of the Supreme Court in enforcing the law on local government autonomy

M.B. Shehu said, “I would say that this is very good for Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and this is also good for the grassroots of Nigeria. I can assure you that in the 70’s, local governments were so powerful that you found a former Federal Commissioner coming back to the local government to contest for elections.”*.

“We believe that this is positive for Nigeria. Imagine those times under the military regime when local government chairmen could even determine who got contracts, but what do we have today? it’s the state governors that determine who gets what, the local government has no power; We must move away from that, and to this effect, we back Mr. President and the Attorney General for taking this bold step to really get this done at this moment, in my opinion, this is a landmark judgement .”

Shehu emphasized the need for patience and understanding of the government’s decision as it is beneficial for the nation’s overall good, adding that democratic governance is in the best interest of the country.

He said, “I will say that it is a good thing that we are under a democratic system of government, no matter how flawed that system is. We have a situation where it is no longer up to one man to do as he pleases, as we have had in the past. I know many of us are not happy with the progress we have made, but there is hope for greater success if we all play our roles well and give the necessary support to the government .”

Barrister Mohammed Abdul, Esq., a seasoned legal expert and consultant to the Commission with extensive experience in constitutional law, provided an in-depth insights into the Supereme Court judgement, clarifying its significance and the legal responsibilities that it imposes on both federal and state governments. Barrister Abdul highlighted the key aspects of the judgement, particularly its affirmation of the constitutional autonomy of local governments, which reinforces their financial independence and operational authority.

He emphasised the importance for the other tiers of government to adhere to the ruling to promote transparency, accountability, and effective service delivery at the grassroot level.

While noting that the judgement was controversial considering various viewpoints on the matter as well as what was in place before the ruling, he stated categorically that Section 7 of the constitution recognises the local government as a tier of government, and in order for funds to reach the grassroots, there was the dire need for the local government to partake in the sharing of the revenue from the Federation Account.

In his words, *”The decision as we have seen is a bit controversial, however, we need to take into cognisance the perspective that was in place before the decision of the Supreme Court.

With the coming of democracy, it was also promulgated that governance in that tier of government should be democratic. Section 162, Subsections 5 and 6, states that there shall be joint state and local government accounts established so that states will receive and share based on the stipulated criteria. These accounts were established so that state governors will receive funding from the Federation account and hand over to states”.

He continued, “Overtime, the governors realised that the money in bulk is a lot of money, and rather than distribute the money to the local governments, decided to use the monies to do some projects that they felt would yield to the development and advancement of the state.”

He said that while doing this, the sharing formulae led to some infringements, one of which meant that funds may be used more for state projects, thereby grossly affecting funds accessible to local governments of those states.

In the same vein, Barrister Abdul highlighted another infringement, which was that, “they began to dissolve the local governments councils in accordance to their whims and caprices.

You will find in the history of Nigeria, there were several decisions of the Supreme Court that were rendered pertaining to the fact that this resolution is not constitutional, but you will find that the governors continued to do it as if the Supreme Court had not rendered its decision.”

Barrister Abdul educated the audience on the importance of the Supreme Court’s judgement on the effective running of states and the nation at large.

The meetong also featured an interactive session where honourable members and staff of the Commission engaged him in discussions on how the judgement will impact the allocation of funds to local governments and the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the new legal framework.

The Secretary to the Commission, Nwaze, Joseph Okechukwu, in his vote of thanks, reiterated the Commission’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that the principles of local government autonomy are fully implemented in line with the Supreme Court’s directives. He appreciated the Chairman and Barrister Abdul for the enlightenment.

He encouraged Members of Board and staff of the Commission to apply the knowledge gained from the sensitisation in their day-to-day functions to foster better governance and equitable resource distribution across all tiers of government while stating that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission remains dedicated to promoting fiscal efficiency and ensuring that the resources of the nation are allocated in a manner that supports sustainable development and good governance at all levels.

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Health

New Malaria Plan Puts States, Local Data At Centre Of Nigeria’s 2030 Response

Published

3 hours ago

October 22, 2026

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

Nigeria’s latest malaria data point to a country making progress overall but facing sharply different disease burdens from one state to another, prompting health authorities to shift emphasis towards locally tailored interventions under a new five-year strategy.

The National Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP) 2026–2030, launched alongside the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey (NMIS) report, seeks to cut malaria parasite prevalence and deaths by 50 per cent from 2025 levels by 2030.

Rather than applying a uniform national response, the plan prioritises interventions based on local epidemiological evidence, while also calling for stronger domestic financing, improved diagnosis and treatment, better surveillance and clearer accountability.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Daju Kachallom, presented the government’s position at the joint launch in Abuja.

Pate described the survey and strategic plan as essential tools for identifying weaknesses in malaria control and directing resources towards areas with the greatest need.

He said the survey’s findings on prevalence, prevention, diagnosis and treatment would support policy development, programme implementation, resource allocation and performance assessment.

The minister said the strategic plan was designed to accelerate progress towards a malaria-free Nigeria while remaining consistent with national health priorities and the World Health Organisation’s global malaria strategy.

He commended the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), the National Population Commission (NPC), development partners and other stakeholders involved in producing the survey and plan.

Pate also called for a shared national effort involving federal and state governments, the private sector, communities and households, stressing that malaria elimination could not be achieved by government alone.

The 2025 NMIS shows that malaria parasite prevalence among children aged six to 59 months, measured through microscopy, fell from 42 per cent in 2010 to 23 per cent in 2018, 22 per cent in 2021 and 15 per cent in 2025.

However, the national improvement masks substantial differences between states. Prevalence among children in the same age group ranged from two per cent in Lagos State to 31 per cent in Ebonyi State.

The figures indicate that progress has not been evenly distributed and that malaria control efforts must be adapted to the conditions in individual states and communities.

Earlier, the National Coordinator of NMEP, Dr Nnenna Ogbulafor, said the NMSP was developed from the 2025 NMIS findings and other programme data.

She said the evidence would help policymakers locate high-burden areas, improve the design of interventions and direct limited resources to communities most in need.

Ogbulafor said the plan was aligned with Nigeria’s health sector priorities and the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030.

She identified policy alignment, state-level leadership, domestic financing, partnerships and accountability as central to implementation.

The national coordinator urged state governments, civil society organisations and development partners to take ownership of the plan and support coordinated, adequately funded malaria programmes.

She said the differences in prevalence across states made subnational planning indispensable to meeting the national targets.

Ogbulafor called on states to develop comprehensive malaria control programmes reflecting local disease burdens, epidemiological evidence and available resources.

She also stressed the need for sustained domestic financing and partnerships to close funding gaps and maintain implementation through 2030.

NMEP, she said, would work with the National Malaria Working Group and international partners to track implementation, assess performance and review results regularly.

The plan aims to raise access to and use of preventive interventions to at least 80 per cent, achieve at least 90 per cent effective coverage of malaria diagnosis and appropriate treatment among at-risk populations, and improve surveillance performance from a baseline of 47 per cent to 70 per cent by 2030.

It also targets stronger governance and organisational capacity, with at least 60 per cent of malaria programme resources expected to come from domestic sources by 2030.

The survey data show that prevention remains uneven. Only 54 per cent of households had at least one insecticide-treated net, while 45 per cent of children under five and 54 per cent of pregnant women aged 15–49 slept under a net on the night before the survey.

Protection during pregnancy was also incomplete. Among women aged 15–49 who had a live birth in the preceding two years, 62 per cent received at least one dose of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine during their last pregnancy, but only 33 per cent received three or more doses.

The findings point to the need to expand access to insecticide-treated nets and intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women.

Diagnosis is another major gap. Of children under five who had a fever in the two weeks before the survey, 59 per cent had advice or treatment sought, but only 18 per cent had blood taken for malaria testing.

The strategic plan therefore places emphasis on prompt testing, appropriate treatment, preventive services and public awareness.

In his remarks, the Director-General of NPC, Dr Abubakar Muhammed, pledged the commission’s continued support for credible demographic and health data to guide policymaking and malaria elimination efforts.

Muhammed said the survey reflected the partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, through NMEP, and the NPC.

He said the collaboration brought together expertise in malaria control, demographic surveys and data management to produce information for national planning and development.

The NPC director-general said the commission would continue to modernise its survey operations through technologies such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and spatial techniques.

He urged policymakers, programme managers, researchers and development partners to use the findings to refine strategies, improve implementation and target communities where interventions were most needed.

Muhammed commended the ministry, NMEP, technical consultants, state enumerators and field teams for their roles in conducting the survey.

He said the report would provide a strong evidence base for a coordinated national malaria response.

The launch of the NMIS report and NMSP 2026–2030 places the next phase of Nigeria’s malaria response on a clearer understanding of where the disease remains most entrenched, while challenging states and partners to convert that evidence into measurable local action.

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