N-Delta Civil Society Forum Condemns Payment of N141.36bn 13% Derivation to State Govts, insists on Direct Allocation to Oil-Producing Communities
The Niger Delta Civil Society Forum (NDCSF), a coalition of civil society organisations drawn from Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ondo and other states in the oil-rich region, has stoutly condemned the payment of N141.36 billion being 13% derivation funds to state governments in the October 2025 revenue allocation, describing the practice as "unconstitutional, unjust, and detrimental to the welfare of oil-producing communities". According to the Forum, Section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution clearly mandates the 13% derivation as compensation for resource-bearing communities that suffer environmental degradation, land depletion, pollution, loss of livelihoods, and other socio-economic hardships resulting from oil, gas, and mineral exploration. The Forum expressed deep dissatisfaction over the continued transfer of derivation funds to state governments despite decades of alleged mismanagement, non-transparency, and failure to deliver meaningfu...