Zulum Approves Direct Allocation Payments to Borno’s 27 Local Governments
By Umar Ibrahim Umar.
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the immediate commencement of direct payment of monthly statutory allocations to the 27 local government areas of the state.
The approval was announced on Thursday by the Acting Governor, Alhaji Umar Usman Kadafur, shortly after he administered the oath of office to the newly elected 27 local government chairpersons.
Kadafur said the decision was in line with the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s December 2025 directive urging governors to comply fully with the ruling.
He explained that the move was aimed at strengthening grassroots governance by giving elected council chairmen direct access to their funds.
According to him, Governor Zulum remains committed to deepening democracy and transparency at the local government level, stressing that the era of bureaucratic delays in accessing council funds had come to an end.
“You should be accessible to your people. The governor believes strongly in the local government administrative process, which is why he approved direct payments to enable you work effectively,” Kadafur said.
He emphasized that Borno State stands out as the only state currently implementing direct allocation payments to local governments, describing the policy as a demonstration of transparency and accountability.
The acting governor also disclosed that the state government would continue to publicly disclose allocations received by each local government to ensure accountability, urging the chairmen to judiciously manage resources entrusted to them.
He further charged the council chairmen to prioritize the welfare of local government staff, ensure prompt payment of salaries and execute projects in line with the state’s 10-year development strategy, focusing on programmes that directly impact the lives of residents.
In 2024, the Federal Government, through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, secured a landmark Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments and affirming their status as the third tier of government in Nigeria.
The ruling was widely applauded by civil society organisations, good governance advocates and stakeholders, including War Against Injustice, a civil society group promoting transparency and accountability.
However, despite the judgment and the establishment of a federal committee to enforce compliance, over 90 percent of states are yet to fully implement the Supreme Court verdict on local government autonomy.