By Mick Oseji, Asaba
Delta State received the highest combined allocation among Nigeria’s 36 states from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in May and June 2026, collecting N134.24 billion during the two-month period, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The figures are contained in the NBS May-June 2026 FAAC Disbursement Report released on Friday.
Rivers State ranked second with N125.39 billion, while Lagos followed closely with N125.06 billion—a difference of about N333 million. Akwa Ibom, with N115.67 billion, and Bayelsa, with N110.31 billion, completed the top five.
The two-month totals, however, mask notable month-on-month changes in the rankings.
Delta topped the states in May with N67.81 billion but slipped to second position in June after receiving N66.44 billion, representing a decline of N1.37 billion.
Rivers recorded the sharpest increase among the leading states, rising from N55.07 billion in May to N70.32 billion in June. The N15.25 billion increase moved the state from third place in May to the top position in June.
The increase in Rivers’ allocation was driven by higher receipts from both statutory revenue and Value Added Tax (VAT). Its net statutory allocation rose from N29.89 billion in May to N38.85 billion in June, while its VAT allocation increased from N23.19 billion to N31.32 billion.
Lagos, which ranked second in May with N64.71 billion, dropped to fourth in June after its allocation fell to N60.35 billion. The N4.36 billion decline was largely attributed to lower VAT receipts.
The state’s VAT allocation fell from N60.28 billion in May to N55.25 billion in June, outweighing an increase in its net statutory allocation from N1.79 billion to N4.73 billion.
Despite the decline, Lagos recorded the largest VAT receipts among the states in both months. The state’s strong VAT position reflects the VAT-sharing framework and the concentration of economic activity in Nigeria’s commercial centre.
Akwa Ibom also recorded an increase, with its allocation rising from N53.58 billion in May to N62.09 billion in June. Bayelsa similarly increased from N52.03 billion to N58.28 billion.
The five states with the highest combined allocations—Delta, Rivers, Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa—are all oil-producing states and therefore benefit from the 13 per cent derivation component of statutory revenue, alongside their statutory and VAT allocations.
Derivation fund rises by N30.88bn
The NBS data also showed a significant increase in the 13 per cent derivation fund distributed to oil-producing states.
The states shared N345.38 billion from the derivation fund across May and June, comprising N157.25 billion in May and N188.13 billion in June.
June’s figure represented an increase of N30.88 billion, or 19.6 per cent, compared with May.
The increase coincided with a broader rise in statutory revenue available for distribution. Statutory revenue climbed from N2.13 trillion in May to N2.65 trillion in June.
The derivation allocation is deducted as a first-line charge from statutory revenue before the remaining funds are distributed among the federal, state and local governments under the FAAC sharing formula.
At the federal level, allocations from several derivation-linked and statutory funds also increased in June.
The Federal Government’s share of the derivation and ecology funds rose from N13.53 billion in May to N14.23 billion in June, giving it a combined N27.76 billion for the two months.
Its stabilisation fund allocation increased from N6.76 billion to N7.12 billion, for a two-month total of N13.88 billion.
Similarly, the Federal Government’s allocation for the development of natural resources rose from N22.73 billion in May to N23.91 billion in June, bringing the combined figure to N46.64 billion.
The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, also recorded higher receipts in June. Its allocation increased from N24.28 billion in May to N30.62 billion in June, giving the FCT a combined N54.91 billion for the two months.
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) received N23.23 billion in May and N21.42 billion in June, amounting to N44.65 billion over the period.
The NBS said the NEDC allocation was funded through a further first-line deduction from the federation account before the application of the standard vertical sharing formula.
Higher allocation comes amid social protection concerns
The size of Delta State’s recent FAAC receipts also comes against the backdrop of concerns previously raised about poverty and the coverage of social protection programmes in the state.
The Daily Crucible recalled that a year earlier, in September, the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) expressed concern over Delta State’s social protection framework, citing poor coordination, underfunding and inadequate coverage of vulnerable populations.
Speaking at the time at a stakeholder dialogue organised by the Delta State Ministry of Economic Planning in collaboration with the Act Naija Consortium in Asaba, ANEEJ Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor, said 36.3 per cent of Delta State’s population—more than 1.5 million people—lived in multidimensional poverty, according to the 2022 National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
Ugolor noted that the state-wide figure masked significant inequalities across Delta’s three senatorial districts.
“Delta North records the highest levels of deprivation, largely due to its rural nature and poor access to essential services such as sanitation, healthcare, and education,” he said.
“Delta Central, though more urbanised, suffers from high youth unemployment and weak social protection coverage, while Delta South shows mixed outcomes, with better urban indicators but deep poverty in coastal communities.”
In response, the Delta State Government reaffirmed its commitment to scaling up social protection measures aimed at reducing poverty and boosting economic resilience.
Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Hon. Chris Osakwe, stressed the need for a comprehensive approach.
“Accelerating inclusive social protection in Delta State requires a multi-faceted strategy that addresses the unique needs of our diverse population,” he said.
The dialogue, themed “Accelerating Inclusive Social Protection in Delta State: Building Stronger Systems for Poverty Reduction and Resilience,” brought together stakeholders from government, civil society and development partners.
Onyeme commended the Act Naija Consortium, which includes Bread for the World (Germany), ANEEJ and the New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), with co-funding from the European Union, for championing the effort.
The juxtaposition of Delta State’s strong FAAC receipts with the earlier concerns over poverty and social protection highlights the distinction between the amount of public revenue available to a state and how effectively that revenue translates into social protection, access to essential services and improved living conditions for vulnerable residents.
The latest FAAC figures underscore the extent to which changes in statutory revenue, VAT receipts and derivation payments can alter the monthly distribution rankings among Nigeria’s states, especially the oil bearing Delta State while the social protection concerns point to the broader question of how such public resources are deployed to address poverty and inequality within the state.
