States get special N435bn for security, infrastructure

Nigeria's state governments have received a significant sum of N435bn in recent years to bolster security and infrastructure, as revealed by recently available budget data. This funding, classified under "State Infrastructure and Security" in state financial records, comes from a new intervention by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) separate from regular statutory allocations.

The data, derived from state budget performance reports from January to June 2026, shows that 29 states recorded at least N435bn under this funding window in the first half of 2026. This intervention comes amid growing concerns over insecurity and inadequate infrastructure, with recent abductions and poor road networks placing immense pressure on state governments.

Despite the government's Safe Schools Initiative and recent efforts to address security, the scale of the crisis has intensified state governments' need to invest more in security and critical infrastructure. The Infrastructure Support Fund, approved in July 2023 following the removal of petrol subsidy, has further bolstered states' capacity to invest in various sectors.

The analysis of available data for 32 states shows that 16 states reported N265.50bn under the dedicated revenue line, while 13 states reported another N169.75bn in separately disclosed FAAC-related revenue. The total amount represents nearly 10% of the states' federal allocation and 20.71% of their internally generated revenue.