Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex C. Otti, OFR, has sought the support of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to enable the State access funding dedicated to the development of non-oil revenue sectors, particularly agriculture, solid minerals and tourism.
Governor Otti made the request on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at his office, when he received RMAFC Team Two, led by the Federal Commissioner representing Rivers State, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, on an official working visit to the State.
Governor Otti said Abia takes fiscal efficiency and responsibility seriously, noting that the State has consistently prioritised capital expenditure while keeping the cost of governance under control.
“We take budget very, very seriously. We have dedicated not less than 80 per cent of our expenditure to capital projects in the last three years,” the Governor said.
According to the Governor, Abia’s ability to execute major projects despite its relatively low share of Federal allocation is largely due to prudent and efficient management of available resources.
“Some of the reasons we are able to do some of the things we are doing here is because we are down-right efficient in terms of how we deploy our resources,” Gov. Otti stated.
The State Chief Executive disclosed that agriculture, solid minerals and tourism remain critical to Abia’s economic development, pointing out that the State is endowed with substantial mineral resources across the Lokpanta-Umunneochi, Arochukwu and Ukwa belts.
The Governor, however, noted that solid minerals remain on the Exclusive Legislative List, making collaboration with the Federal Government essential.
“We can only partner with the Federal Government,” Gov. Otti said.
The Governor therefore appealed to the Commission to give Abia favourable consideration in the disbursement of funds earmarked for States developing alternative sources of revenue.
Referring to the outstanding funds being pursued by the Commission, the Governor said, “The ₦600 billion that is left out of the ₦810 billion, we would request that you consider us very, very positively,” adding that the State has already applied and is awaiting the outcome of the verification exercise.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, explained that the RMAFC Committee on Fiscal Efficiency and Budget is responsible, among other duties, for assessing projects proposed by States under the Federal Government’s initiative to support non-oil revenue generation.
He said the fund is intended to support projects in agriculture, solid minerals and tourism, with States required to submit proposals for verification before recommendations for disbursement can be made.
Ambassador Akawor disclosed that only three States – Lagos, Bauchi and Yobe* – have so far accessed the fund, while about ₦810 billion remains outstanding to States recommended for funding. He said efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the outstanding funds, adding that approximately ₦210 billion currently available has been proposed for sharing among States, which would amount to about ₦6 billion per State.
The RMAFC Team Lead commended the Abia State Government for the projects and initiatives seen during the visit, particularly the State’s intervention at the National War Museum, Umuahia.
“What we saw there is completely different from what we saw in other States,” he said, describing the condition of the Museum as deserving of Federal Government attention. He commended the State Government for already intervening and pledged that the Commission would make appropriate recommendations to the Federal Government.
Amb. Akawor further commended Governor Otti’s infrastructural interventions, saying the delegation had received reports about the transformation taking place in Abia and had personally seen some of the projects during the visit.
“With all that we have seen and heard and read, we encourage you to continue,” he said, adding that the team would proceed to inspect the State’s rubber plantation as part of its working visit.
The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Meribeole, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Ph.D, Commissioners, Accountants-General of State and other top government officials were present at the event.
Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
September 16, 2026.
