Former diplomat and National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Igali, has called for increased resource allocation to host communities, proposing that areas producing natural resources should retain 50 per cent of the revenue generated.
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Igali made the call an appearance on the podcast Conversations with Prof. Jideofor Adibe, where he addressed ongoing debates over resource control, fiscal federalism and economic justice in Nigeria.
The veteran administrator emphasised that host communities bear the primary environmental and social burdens of resource extraction, making a more equitable revenue-sharing formula necessary.
“It is important that the community that has the resources keep 50% of the derived resources,” Igali stated.
The proposed 50 per cent derivation principle reflects aspects of Nigeria’s pre-independence and First Republic fiscal arrangements, under which regions retained 50 per cent of revenue derived from certain natural resources within their territories before subsequent changes to the country’s revenue allocation system.
Igali’s remarks come amid ongoing discussions among policymakers, regional stakeholders and socio-political groups advocating for structural economic reforms, equitable community development and environmental remediation across resource-producing regions in the country.
Watch the full podcast here: https:/www.youtube.com/live/MuhOfSkGMj8?si=ipqivzaC_nJZf_5
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