The Federal Government and other tiers of government set aside a combined N3.56tn as savings from Federation Account revenue between January and September 2026, despite the Federal Government’s increasing reliance on borrowing to finance its budget deficit.

The amount represents a 95 per cent increase from the N1.83tn recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, raising questions about the country’s fiscal priorities amid mounting public debt and rising debt-servicing obligations.

A report by Agora Policy, titled Ten Insights from FAAC Disbursements for January-September 2026, analysed by The PUNCH on Friday, showed that savings and interventions accounted for N8.34tn of deductions from Federation Account revenue during the nine-month period.

The report put deductions for interventions at N4.78tn, making it the largest category, while savings accounted for N3.56tn. Together, the two categories represented 75.1 per cent of total deductions, compared with 39.9 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025.

The report read, “Interventions accounted for the largest deduction, at N4.78tn, followed by savings at N3.56tn. In nine months, refunds amounted to N1.21tn and collection costs to N1.09tn. Transfers, at N469.06bn, were the smallest category.”

The sharp increase in savings came against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s expanded borrowing plan for 2026. The government raised its borrowing target by N11.31tn to N29.20tn from the earlier N17.89tn projection, while the budget deficit stood at N31.46tn.

Under the 2026 budget, total expenditure is projected at N68.32tn against expected revenue of N36.87tn, leaving a substantial financing gap to be covered largely through borrowing.

The Agora report, however, showed that total deductions from Federation Account revenue declined slightly by 3.5 per cent, from N11.50tn in the first nine months of 2025 to N11.10tn in the same period of 2026.

Their share of gross revenue also fell from 41.1 per cent to 35.3 per cent, allowing distributable revenue before augmentation to rise by 23.8 per cent to N20.36tn.

Gross Federation Account revenue increased by 12.6 per cent, from N27.95tn to N31.46tn, during the period.

According to the report, the N3.91tn increase in distributable revenue exceeded the N3.51tn growth in gross receipts because deductions declined by approximately N400bn.

It stated, “The modest fall in total deductions conceals a substantial change in their composition. Refunds fell by approximately N3.99tn, moving from the largest deduction category to the third-largest.

“Meanwhile, interventions and savings increased by approximately N3.75tn, from N4.59tn to N8.34tn. Together, interventions and savings accounted for 75.1 per cent of deductions in nine months in 2026, compared with 39.9 per cent in the corresponding period in 2025.”

A further breakdown showed refunds declined by 77 per cent, from N5.20tn in the first nine months of 2025 to N1.21tn in 2026.

Collection costs increased by four per cent to N1.09tn, while transfers fell by 29 per cent to N469.06bn.

The increase in savings and interventions raises questions about the relationship between the resources being set aside from Federation Account revenue and the government’s continued borrowing to finance expenditure.

However, the deductions cover the Federation Account and should not be interpreted as savings retained solely by the Federal Government. The revenue is shared among the Federal Government, states and local governments under the existing allocation arrangements.

The Federal Government has defended its borrowing strategy, arguing that increased expenditure pressures have outpaced additional non-borrowed resources and that borrowing is necessary to finance infrastructure and other development priorities.

In its fiscal defence, the government has also pointed to rising personnel costs, debt-service obligations, electricity support and infrastructure commitments as major pressures on public finances.

A statement by the Presidency on its infrastructure investment strategy said borrowing was being redirected towards productive assets rather than short-term consumption. It also acknowledged the pressure of debt service, which stood at about 65 per cent of revenue in the first half of 2026.

Source: punchng.com

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confiscated and destroyed unwholesome, banned, fake and adulterated products worth more than N8 billion in the North-Central states.

Speaking during the destruction ceremony on Thursday in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the products were seized from manufacturing outfits, sales outlets, markets and motor parks across the zone.

The DG, who was represented by a Deputy Director of NAFDAC in the zone, Joseph Edor, said most of the confiscated products were banned alcoholic beverages in small volumes of less than 200 ml (20 cl).

According to her, NAFDAC was established by Decree No. 19 of 1993, as amended, with the mandate to protect and promote public health by ensuring that only quality, efficacious and regulated products are manufactured, imported, distributed and sold in Nigeria.

She explained that the agency banned alcoholic beverages in sachets and glass bottles of less than 200ml due to their availability, affordability and portability, which have made them easily abused by youths and underage schoolchildren.

“Research has shown that early exposure to alcohol affects the brain and other vital organs such as the liver and kidneys.

“It stymies the brain, resulting in mental retardation, brain damage, poor performance of pupils in school, low productivity and several types of illnesses,” she said.

The DG said the ban and subsequent raids were based on these abuses, addiction and adverse health effects, while other seized items included expired, fake and unwholesome food, drugs and cosmetics.

“It is in the course of carrying out these activities that this heap of unwholesome, banned, fake and adulterated products worth about eight billion naira was confiscated from manufacturing outfits, sales outlets, markets and motor parks.

“The bulk of the products in that pile are predominantly banned alcoholic beverages in low volumes of less than 200ml (20cl),” she emphasised.

The Director-General further commended other law enforcement agencies, sister agencies and stakeholders for their continuous collaboration, especially in intelligence sharing and security cover during operations.

Also speaking at the event, the Nasarawa State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Dr Gyani Stephen, explained that the exercise was not targeted at hurting people but was intended to save lives.

He advised those in the habit of selling fake and banned products to desist or be ready to face the full wrath of the law, warning that the agency would come after them if they did not change their ways.

In his goodwill message, the Nasarawa State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Daniel Saidu, represented by Yakubu Awoh, commended NAFDAC for saving lives through the regular seizure and destruction of expired and fake drugs.

He explained that if these dangerous products were allowed into the markets, they could have destroyed millions of lives and affected the mental health of many others.

Source: punchng.com

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Nigeria’s modular refining sector is expected to expand next year, with seven new refineries projected to commence operations with a combined capacity of 83,000 barrels per day, according to Argus Media’s George Maher-Bonnett.

Maher-Bonnett disclosed this in Lagos on Wednesday during a presentation at the OTL Africa Downstream conference, where he highlighted the changing dynamics of Nigeria’s petroleum products market amid rising local refining capacity and declining fuel demand.

In his presentation, titled ‘African Energy Outlook’, Maher-Bonnett said four modular refineries operated in Nigeria in September, with a combined capacity of 32,000 barrels per day.

“Four modular refineries operating in September, total 32,000 b/d capacity,” he said.

He added, “Seven new modular refineries to start next year“ with a total of 83,000 barrels per capacity.

The projected additions would represent more than two and a half times the combined capacity of the four modular refineries operating in September, potentially increasing the contribution of smaller refining facilities to Nigeria’s domestic petroleum products supply.

However, the presentation did not identify the seven proposed refineries, their owners or locations, or provide individual capacity figures and commissioning schedules.

Maher-Bonnett also highlighted the growing role of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in improving Nigeria’s self-sufficiency in petroleum products, despite a decline in fuel demand during the year.

“Nigerian fuels demand is down this year,” the presentation stated, attributing the development to “higher flat prices.”

He added self-sufficiency is improving with Dangote ramp-up, projecting that modular refineries would play a growing role.

The presentation linked the decline in demand to higher prices and noted that the only government intervention during the period covered was an NNPC price reduction.

“No government interventions, besides NNPC price cut this month,” it stated.

The expected expansion of modular refining capacity comes as Nigeria’s petroleum products market adjusts to increased domestic production and changing international trade flows.

Maher-Bonnett said the Dangote refinery is operating at a high rate, with steady petrol output, reducing the attractiveness of importing some petroleum products from Europe into West Africa.

“Dangote’s 700,000 bpd Lekki refinery is running hard, gasoline output is steady,” the presentation stated.

It also highlighted Ghana’s growing refining capacity, noting that the 45,000-barrel-per-day Tema refinery is ramping up production and improving the country’s self-sufficiency.

According to the presentation, the economics of shipping petroleum products from Europe to West Africa and from Europe to the United States has weakened, with freight costs further affecting the competitiveness of the routes.

Source: punchng.com

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