THE 36 states of the federation received about N32bn from the Ecological Fund in the first six months of 2026, findings by Sunday PUNCH have revealed, amid persistent flooding across the country that has claimed lives and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
News Point Nigeria reports that the fund, allocated to states through the Federation Account Allocation Committee, is meant to address ecological challenges, including flooding, erosion, desertification, pollution and other environmental emergencies.
However, findings by the newspaper showed that some states spent little or nothing on flood and erosion control during the period, while others had yet to publish detailed expenditure reports for 2026.
The development comes as the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency intensify warnings over flooding, urging vulnerable states to deploy their ecological resources towards drainage clearance, flood prevention and emergency preparedness.
Data obtained from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation showed that the 36 states received about N32bn between January and June.
The allocations included N4.69bn in February, N5.01bn in March, N5.77bn in April and N5.38bn in June, while the amounts allocated in January and May totalled more than N11bn.
Local government councils also received allocations from the fund during the period, bringing total ecological disbursements to the two tiers of sub-national government to several billions of naira.
The Ecological Fund was established in 1981 following the recommendation of the Okigbo Commission as an intervention pool for addressing ecological problems across the country.
It initially received one per cent of the Federation Account before the allocation was increased to two per cent in 1992.
An additional one per cent derivation component was subsequently introduced, bringing the total to three per cent.
The fund is shared among the three tiers of government, with the Federal Government allocated 48.5 per cent, states 24 per cent and local governments 20 per cent.
The fund has since grown into one of the country’s major intervention pools.
An analysis of the January-June 2026 allocations showed that Kano received the highest amount, at about N1.91bn, followed by Kaduna with N1.58bn, Jigawa with N1.55bn, Borno with N1.50bn and Katsina with N1.48bn.
Bauchi received about N1.44bn, Niger N1.43bn, Benue N1.35bn and Kogi N1.33bn.
Lagos received about N1.25bn between January and May.
Overall, the 10 highest-recipient states received more than N15.5bn during the period.
The varying allocations reflect factors used in the revenue allocation framework, including population, landmass and derivation.
States such as Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Borno, Niger and Bauchi face persistent ecological challenges, including desertification and seasonal flooding, while Lagos faces significant coastal and urban flood risks.
However, despite the billions allocated to states grappling with persistent ecological challenges, available budget performance records raise questions about how much of the funds is being translated into actual flood and erosion-control interventions.
In Jigawa State, which received about N1.55bn between January and June, the government spent nothing on erosion and flood control during the first half of the year, according to its second-quarter budget performance report.
The state had budgeted N100m for the purpose.
Its monthly ecological allocations were N209.92m in January, N192.50m in February, N247.15m in March, N309.89m in April, N287.24m in May and N302.22m in June.
Kaduna, which received more than N3bn from the Ecological Fund in 2025, spent only N178m on flood and erosion projects during the same period, representing about 5.9 per cent of its ecological receipts.
Bauchi, Niger and Benue had yet to publish detailed expenditure reports for 2026 as of the time of filing this report.
Lagos, which received about N1.25bn between January and May, saw several major drainage and flood-control projects record zero expenditure in the first quarter of 2026, according to the state’s budget performance report.
The apparent gap between ecological allocations and reported interventions is particularly significant given the recurring flooding across the country.
Lagos, for instance, experienced flooding in parts of Lekki, Ikeja, Oshodi and Ikorodu following heavy rainfall during the period.
In Ogun State, which received N94.6m from the Ecological Fund during the period, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said he was not aware of the details of the allocation or its disbursement.
“I don’t know much about the fund because I don’t know how they disburse the fund and how much has been released,” he said.
The Federal Government had earlier issued a flood alert, warning communities in 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory of possible flooding between September 27 and October 10, 2026.
The warning was contained in a flood prediction released by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre under the Federal Ministry of Environment.
The warning adds to a series of flood advisories issued during the year as federal agencies and state authorities continue to urge communities in vulnerable locations to take preventive measures.