Security, Roads, Schools: What ₦2.45 Trillion FG Support Means For Each State
By NJORIGE LYNUS
THE Federal Government’s ₦2.45 trillion disbursement to states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between March 2024 and August 2025 is reshaping sub-national budgets and redefining how states finance infrastructure and security.
Announced by Presidential Adviser Daniel Bwala, the intervention targets core pressure points in state governance—roads, bridges, healthcare, education and security—at a time when many states are struggling to balance capital spending with recurrent obligations.
A breakdown of fiscal impact shows that states with limited revenue capacity benefited most from the intervention, as federal transfers helped stabilise budgets and prevent the shelving of capital projects. States in the North-East and North-West, where security spending consumes a significant portion of annual budgets, leveraged the funds to support surveillance, mobility, and coordination with federal forces.
In the Middle Belt, states such as Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa reportedly prioritised community security, road access to farming belts, and rehabilitation of health facilities affected by conflict. Meanwhile, southern states—including Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Bayelsa—channelled funds into urban road networks, flood control, hospitals and school infrastructure.
For economically strategic states like Lagos and Rivers, the funds complemented existing capital plans, enabling faster completion of transport corridors and public health upgrades without increasing debt exposure. In the FCT, the intervention supported road rehabilitation, security infrastructure and public service facilities to match rapid population growth.
From a budgetary standpoint, the intervention reduced pressure on state borrowing and allowed governors to realign spending toward development outcomes. Analysts note that several states revised their 2025 budgets after the federal releases, increasing capital expenditure ratios while maintaining wage and social service commitments.
Bwala linked the disbursement to the 2025 Budget of Restoration, describing it as a coordinated effort to secure peace, rebuild infrastructure and stimulate economic activity nationwide. He emphasised that federal grants to states are standard practice globally, pointing to federations such as the United States and India.
The Federal Government maintains that accountability and transparency remain central to the programme, with emphasis on measurable outcomes rather than headline figures. As implementation continues, attention is expected to shift toward project completion rates and the real impact on security, mobility, healthcare access and education delivery across Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT.
