Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda has fired a fresh salvo in Nigeria’s debate over economic hardship, urging citizens to stop blaming state governors alone for the country’s worsening cost-of-living crisis and instead question how national funds are managed at the centre. The All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, who also chairs the North-West Governors’ Forum, explained in an interview that the Federal Government receives 52 % of the Federation Account revenue, leaving just 48 % to be shared among the 36 states and 774 local government areas — a formula he says contributes to financial strain on subnational governments.
Radda challenged Nigerians to ask, “where has the bulk of that money gone?” over decades of federal control of the larger share of national revenue, framing this question as central to understanding the roots of the current economic challenges.
Addressing accusations of corruption commonly aimed at governors, he cautioned against sweeping generalisations, insisting leadership should be judged on individual performance. He also defended his own administration’s focus on capital projects, saying they have injected money into local economies by creating jobs and supporting small-scale economic activity in communities.
