Renowned public affairs commentator and media entrepreneur, Atunyota Akpobome, popularly known as Alibaba, has suggested that certain Nigerian states should be reclassified as local government areas due to their financial dependence on federal allocations.
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, Alibaba criticized the creation of some states by the military, suggesting that they were primarily established to appease military commanders rather than being economically viable entities.
He highlighted the issue of sub-regional governments that struggle to generate sufficient revenue to sustain their operations and rely heavily on monthly allocations from the Federal Government.
Alibaba emphasized that several states lack the economic capacity to thrive independently and should, therefore, be downgraded to local government status. He criticized the creation of states without adequate consideration for their economic viability, noting that some were established solely to fulfill political objectives.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s historical context, Alibaba referenced the country’s initial regional structure at independence, which evolved into the current system of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, following military interventions between 1967 and 1996.
He expressed concern about the overreliance of certain states on federal allocations despite possessing abundant natural resources, highlighting systemic issues in the country’s fiscal management.
Alibaba attributed Nigeria’s challenges to decisions made by past military regimes, particularly the centralization of financial control through the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). He also criticized the 1999 Constitution, which he described as a product of the military era, inherited during the transition to democratic governance.
