RMAFC Pledges Deeper Collaboration with LGAs, NEITI
By Patience Ikpeme
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has promised to work more closely with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to strengthen how local governments are run, support their financial independence, and make sure more money reaches ordinary people at the grassroots.
This was made known in a statement issued on Monday by Maryam Umar Yusuf, Head of the Commission’s Information and Public Relations Unit.
According to the statement, a team of RMAFC Federal Commissioners led by Aliyu Abdulkadir, who represents Nasarawa State and heads the Commission’s State and Local Government Monitoring Committee, visited the National President of ALGON, Engr. Bello Lawal, at the association’s headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking for the RMAFC Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, Abdulkadir explained that the newly formed committee was set up to build a stronger working relationship with local governments and find practical ways to support them.
He said that as a body created by the constitution, RMAFC has the power to monitor money going into and coming out of the Federation Account, which local governments are entitled to by law.
Abdulkadir promised that the Commission would work to ensure that the financial independence granted to local governments by the Supreme Court is properly put into practice. He also asked local governments to work harder at generating their own revenue instead of depending only on money from the federal government.
Also speaking at the event, Senator Marafa Bashir Abba, who represents Taraba State and serves as Vice Chairman of the Committee, said the visit would help generate fresh ideas to improve the committee’s work and deepen cooperation with ALGON, especially on issues facing local governments, including matters relating to local government elections.
Responding, Engr. Bello Lawal welcomed the move, describing RMAFC’s outreach as timely and important for the future of governance at the grassroots. He said, “When you empower local government, you empower the whole country because local government is where people actually live.”
He added, “A strengthened local government constitutes the bedrock and foundation for the development of our country.” Lawal called for local governments to be given a bigger role in decisions about revenue allocation and assured RMAFC that ALGON was ready to work together on capacity building, financial discipline, and better use of public funds.
In a related development, the RMAFC Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, stressed the importance of stronger cooperation between the Commission and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) to improve openness, accountability, and revenue collection in Nigeria’s oil, gas, and mining sectors.
Dr. Shehu made this known when the NEITI Executive Secretary, Mr. Musa Sarki Adar, visited him at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Dr. Shehu said, “We value NEITI’s work in promoting transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s extractive sector, and we are committed to deepening this partnership.”
He praised NEITI for providing reliable information about the operations and money flow within the extractive industries, saying this had helped Nigerians better understand the sector and had strengthened accountability in how natural resources are managed.
He said, “NEITI has earned a strong reputation through its consistent efforts to uncover facts, reconcile information, and promote openness. That work is important to the country and deserves the support of all stakeholders.”
The RMAFC Chairman also appreciated the support NEITI has received from its international partners and expressed hope that more support would come to help strengthen the organisation’s ability to gather information, verify data, and promote revenue transparency and accountability.
He assured NEITI of the Commission’s continued support and willingness to work together on data sharing, research, revenue monitoring, and policy matters.
In his remarks, the NEITI Executive Secretary described the relationship between both organisations as a long-standing one built on a shared commitment to transparency, accountability, and better revenue collection.
He said, “The relationship between NEITI and RMAFC is not new. It is a partnership built over time, and we must now take it to a higher level.”
Sarkin Adar explained RMAFC’s role in monitoring money that comes into the Federation Account and in advising on ways to improve revenue collection and accountability, particularly around Nigeria’s natural resources.
He noted that having reliable information about revenue from oil, gas, and mining activities is important for good financial planning, accountability, and informed decision-making. He explained that NEITI’s independent process of checking financial and physical records in the extractive industries provides useful data on revenue, payments, production, exports, and company activities.
He said, “NEITI’s reports can support RMAFC’s work in revenue monitoring, verification, policy analysis, and the development of measures to improve revenue mobilisation.”
He also spoke about Nigeria’s participation in the ongoing 2026 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative implementation under the 2023 EITI Standard, describing it as a chance for the country to show real progress in strengthening governance across the extractive sector.
He said the standard’s focus on reliable data, consistent disclosure, transparency in revenue flow, and cooperation between institutions fits well with RMAFC’s mandate and opens the door for deeper collaboration.
