FG Denies Peter Obi's Claims on Revenue Diversion

The Federal Government of Nigeria has responded to claims made by Peter Obi regarding the alleged diversion of a significant portion of federation revenue. In a statement, the Minister of State for Finance, OYEDIRAN, denied these allegations, asserting that the claims misrepresent a World Bank report.

Obi had highlighted that approximately 41% of Nigeria's revenue, amounting to about 34.44 trillion Naira, was not remitted to the federation account. The government clarified that the figures cited by Obi exceeded the combined 34 trillion Naira allocated for capital projects in the 2024 and 2025 appropriation bill.

OYEDIRAN explained that the deductions included statutory transfers and refunds to states, which do not represent revenue leakage but are legitimate fiscal flows. The government emphasized its commitment to improving fiscal transparency and revenue mobilization under President Bola Tinubu's administration, while urging stakeholders, including media organizations, to avoid misrepresenting reports.