Oyo’s ₦282.48bn Question: Where Is the Grassroots Impact? |By Aderogba Adebayo Taofik, mni
Substantial FAAC allocations to Oyo State’s 33 Local Government Areas should have produced clearer, measurable improvements in grassroots development, yet the visible impact remains difficult to identify. I participated in the Senior Executive Course 44 (2022) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), where our policy research theme was “Strengthening Local Governance in Nigeria: Challenges, Options and Opportunities.” The programme brought together 90 participants from diverse professions and sectors for more than 10 months of intensive study and field engagement.
The Senior Executive Course 44 report identified Local Government Councils as critical instruments of grassroots development, while also highlighting severe neglect, capacity gaps, and political interference. It recommended full financial and administrative autonomy, constitutional amendments for deeper power devolution, stronger local revenue generation, and the deployment of digital governance tools.
Oyo state Governor Makinde publicly dismissed the intense focus on local government financial autonomy, labeling it a “distraction” from more pressing national issues. He asserted that the Supreme Court’s ruling created a constitutional gap or lacuna between judicial pronouncements and operational realities within Nigeria’s federating structure. He questioned how local governments would remain financially sustainable or pay primary school teachers and healthcare staff if they relied strictly on direct federal allocations without state-backed cushions.
Makinde has maintained that a proper federation relies on a clear relationship between the federal government and the federating states. He expressed that treating the 774 local governments as independent, unguided tiers directly controlled by the federal center disrupts the principles of sub-national state autonomy. What a double standard and distorted line thought!
Rather than implementing the judgment immediately, Governor Makinde constituted legal and technical review committees comprising local government stakeholders. The committees were tasked with evaluating the operational fallout of the ruling to ensure that Oyo State citizens did not suffer from administrative friction or zero-allocation cycles.
At this stage, the governor’s position must be juxtaposed with the reality of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements to the 33 Local Government Areas of Oyo State over the last 24 months, spanning August 2024 to July 2026.
Verified data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation show that the 33 LGAs of Oyo State collectively received an estimated ₦282.48 billion in FAAC allocations alone, excluding Internally Generated Revenue, grants, and other interventions. At that level of funding, citizens are entitled to ask what improvements should be visible in their communities.
A breakdown reveals that:
Ibadan North received approximately N11.28 billion
• Ibadan North-East N11.04 Billion
• Ona-Ara N10.56 Billion
• Egbeda N10.32 Billion
• While the least, Ibarapa North and Olorunsogo received about N6.96 billion each
The critical question is clear: where is the impact?
In the last 24 months, what tangible transformation has this unprecedented inflow brought to our primary healthcare centers, our public primary schools, our rural feeder roads, and our markets? Local Government is the closest tier of government to the people. It is meant to be the engine of grassroots development.
Under the vision of “Oyo Ahead,” BSA holds the firm conviction that governance must be measurable, accountable, and people-centred. Sustainable development cannot be achieved when substantial resources allocated for grassroots development fail to translate into visible improvements in the lives of the people.
“Oyo Ahead” is therefore not a lamentation; it is a practical accountability compact built on clear mechanisms for transparency, citizen participation, and functional local governance.
- Fiscal Transparency: Monthly FAAC allocations to each LGA would be published in a simple, accessible format so citizens can track public resources and demand results.
- Grassroots Accountability: Town hall budgeting would be institutionalized so communities can identify priority projects, monitor implementation, and hold local officials accountable.
- Functional Autonomy: Local governments under BSA’s administration would operate as practical centres of development, capable of delivering primary education, primary healthcare, rural electrification, and agricultural extension services.
Oyo State cannot move ahead if its local governments are left behind. The resources are available. What is required is disciplined, visionary, and transparent leadership.
Oyo State deserves better. Oyo must move ahead.
Oyo does not wait for tomorrow.
Oyo goes ahead — today.
About the Author: Comrade Aderogba Adebayo Taofik, mni, is a unionist in the food, beverage, and tobacco industry, with professional expertise in logistics and supply chains. He is also a policy research and public affairs analyst, an advocate for good governance, and a chieftain of the Oyo APC. He writes from Ward 12, Ibadan North Federal Constituency, Oyo State, Nigeria.