23 CSOs Back Zacch Adedeji, Cite 530% Surge in Monthly Government Allocations
A coalition of 23 civil society organisations (CSOs) has thrown its weight behind the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr Zacch Adedeji, citing what it described as significant improvements in Nigeria’s revenue generation and a 530 per cent increase in monthly allocations to the three tierScreenshot_20260811_192222_Chromes of government.
The organisations, which had earlier planned nationwide protests demanding Adedeji’s removal, announced the suspension of the action following an emergency meeting in Abuja where they reviewed revenue reforms being implemented under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Representatives of the groups, including Musa Bello of the Centre for Peace, Transparency and Accountability and Ngozi Okafor of the Women’s Rights Advocacy Network, said the coalition had passed a vote of confidence in Adedeji after assessing developments in the country’s revenue administration.
According to the CSOs, monthly allocations to the federal, state and local governments increased from about ₦700 billion in 2023 to approximately ₦4.5 trillion, representing a rise of about 530 per cent.
They argued that the increase had strengthened the financial position of state governments and reduced their dependence on special Federal Government interventions to meet recurrent expenditure and other obligations.
The coalition attributed the development partly to revenue reforms spearheaded by Adedeji since his appointment by President Tinubu, maintaining that changes in revenue administration had contributed to improvements in government finances.
The groups said their assessment of the revenue drive and wider economic reforms had changed their initial perception of the NRS leadership, prompting the decision to shelve the planned protest.
They further argued that increased allocations were beginning to reflect in infrastructure projects and other programmes being implemented by state governments across the country.
Beyond revenue generation, the CSOs credited some of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms with creating a more predictable environment for investors, particularly through efforts to reduce distortions between official and parallel foreign exchange markets.
The organisations also highlighted developments in the banking sector, saying Nigerian banks had raised about ₦4.6 trillion following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recapitalisation directive, with an estimated 75 per cent reportedly coming from domestic investors.
On education, the coalition pointed to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) programme, claiming that more than one million students across approximately 300 tertiary institutions had benefited from student loans, with about ₦303 billion reportedly disbursed.
The CSOs acknowledged that the impact of the Federal Government’s economic reforms might not yet be fully felt by individual households, but expressed optimism that the benefits would become more visible as implementation continues.
Following their assessment, the organisations announced the cancellation of their planned nationwide protest and said they would instead embark on public enlightenment campaigns to educate Nigerians about the revenue reforms and what they consider their economic benefits.
The development represents a significant change in position by the coalition, which had initially mobilised against Adedeji’s leadership but now says its review of revenue performance has provided grounds for supporting the NRS chairman.
