The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Mohammed Bello Shehu, has praised Abia State Governor Alex Otti for what he described as prudent management of the state’s resources.
Shehu spoke on Tuesday when he led members of the commission on a courtesy visit to Otti at his residence in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of the state.
The RMAFC chairman said the governor’s investments in road infrastructure, education, primary healthcare and other sectors had produced visible changes across Abia.
He said Abians were “blessed” to have Otti as governor, adding that independent analysts could regard the state as “the best, if not the best-governed state in Nigeria.”
Shehu also described Otti as the best among those who had governed the state.
The commission chairman cited what he described as improvements in Abia’s fiscal transparency, debt profile, security and healthcare as evidence of responsible management of public resources.
He specifically referred to the state’s reported movement from 17th to fourth position in fiscal transparency, as well as the reduction in its debt profile.
The visit also provided an opportunity for the commission to brief the governor on its ongoing reforms, particularly efforts to strengthen revenue monitoring and modernise Nigeria’s fiscal management system.
Shehu said RMAFC was working to deepen digitalisation and improve access to real-time revenue information from revenue-generating agencies.
He said the commission was also advancing work on a new revenue allocation formula, arguing that the existing framework needed to reflect the changing responsibilities of the Federal Government, states and local governments.
According to him, states now carry greater responsibilities in areas such as transportation infrastructure and other sectors that were previously dominated by the Federal Government.
The proposed review is part of a broader RMAFC reform process. The commission began the formal review of the revenue allocation formula in 2025, while a nationwide data verification exercise was launched in 2026 to update the information and indices underpinning revenue sharing.
Shehu said the commission was taking steps to ensure that funds meant for development were properly recovered, distributed and utilised.
He also thanked Otti for supporting the commission, particularly by providing land for the construction of its permanent office in Abia.
The governor, in his response, welcomed the proposed reforms, saying greater fiscal empowerment for states would enable them to do more for their people.
“We know that with the changes that you are proposing, and with the President supporting us, we know we can, as stated, be more empowered,” Otti said.
“If states are more empowered, they will do a lot more good for these states.”
Otti assured the commission of his continued support and expressed optimism that the proposed revenue allocation formula would be implemented soon.
The development comes as RMAFC continues efforts to reshape Nigeria’s revenue-sharing framework, with the commission saying the review is intended to make allocations more responsive to current economic, social and infrastructural realities.
