Enugu State Government has hosted a four-Day Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) Postmortem Sub-Committee retreat , stressing that eliminating revenue leakages in the Federation Account is critical to Nigeria’s fiscal sustainability and long-term economic stability.
Enugu state Governor ,Dr. Peter Mbah
The state Governor ,Dr. Peter Mbah, made this known while declaring open the FAAC Postmortem Retreat on Monday, at the Enugu International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu.
Enugu state SSG, Prof Chidiebere Onyia
Represented by the secretary to the state government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, Governor Mbah described the workshop with the theme “Assessing Fiscal and Sectoral Policies for Closing Revenue Leakages in the Federation Account”, as timely, noting that Nigeria is at a critical stage where increasing development demands require efficient revenue mobilisation, prudent fiscal management, and stronger collaboration among federal and state institutions.
The Governor stressed that coordinated, evidence-based reforms were necessary to address persistent leakages undermining public finances.
He commended the Minister of State for Finance and Chairman of FAAC, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, for her leadership in strengthening fiscal governance, and also praised the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the FAAC Postmortem Sub-Committee for promoting transparency and accountability in the management of the Federation Account.
Governor Mbah reaffirmed that fiscal discipline, efficient resource management, and value-driven governance remain central to Enugu State’s development agenda..
Some of the participants at the retreat.
In her remarks, Dr. Uzoka-Anite reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to equity, fairness, and justice in the management of the Federation Account,
She explained that the retreat was designed to review fiscal and sectoral policies and identify systemic, legal, and administrative gaps responsible for revenue losses.
” As public servants and Fiscal stewards,we must shift from fragmented efforts to coordinated action. Closing revenue leakages require policy coherence, reliable date technology – enabled oversight and above all, unwavering commitment to integrity and accountability. The solution we seek will not come from one institution alone but from shared resolve and collective responsibility”, she said.
Delivering the keynote address, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, described the Federation Account as the fiscal lifeline of the nation but warned that revenue shortfalls, oil price volatility, weak non-oil revenue performance, and systemic leakages continue to threaten its credibility.
He advocated the adoption of digital revenue assurance systems, stronger inter-agency coordination, and governance reforms to improve revenue inflows.
Also speaking, RMAFC Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Shehu, said the retreat aims to shape the future of Nigeria’s revenue mobilisation by enhancing transparency, closing policy loopholes, and optimising inflows into the Federation Account, urging participants to translate discussions into actionable reforms.
Speaking with newsmen , the Enugu State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Dr. Nathanael Chukwuemeka Urama, said the annual workshop provides an expanded platform for in-depth discussions on critical revenue-related issues affecting the federation.
Enugu state Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Nathaniel Urama
He noted that the choice of Enugu as host state reflects national interest in the state’s recent fiscal reforms, particularly its efforts to block revenue leakages and improve internally generated revenue.
Dr. Urama highlighted digitisation of revenue processes as a key strategy adopted by Enugu state government to plug revenue leakages noting that automation of collection and distribution systems reduces human interference and strengthens monitoring, while proper management , strong institutional leadership, transparency, and accountability remain essential for positive results.
Participants were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Finance, RMAFC, FAAC Postmortem Sub-Committee, and federal and state revenue-generating agencies
The technical sessions focus on practical solutions to revenue losses occurring at both the collection and distribution stages. The retreat will be rounded up on Wednesday
