Abia ThinkTank

A FX–INFLATION REALITY CHECK ON “₦90BN vs ₦410BN”: WHY NOMINAL FIGURES DON’T PROVE “FAILURE” — THEY PROVE A WEAKER NAIRA If we are going to argue Abia’s finances with figures (as the livestream did), then we must argue with real figures, not headline naira.The easiest trick in Nigeria’s fiscal debate is this: quote big naira numbers in 2025/2026 and pretend they mean the same thing as naira in 2017/2019. They do not. Not even close. �Reuters +1 1) THE “₦410BN FAAC” ARGUMENT COLLAPSES UNDER BASIC FX CONVERSION Let’s use the SAME method critics love (money), but apply the method they…

FLASHING ₦6.7BN WITHOUT COST STRUCTURE IS FISCAL MISDIRECTION — RECURRENT COSTS, NOT OFFICE WALLS, DRIVE GOVERNMENT SPENDING By AProf. Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke Let us bring clarity and structure into the debate. Waving a single figure — such as ₦6.7 billion for the Governor’s Office — without cost composition breakdown is not financial analysis. It is presentation without structure. IN PUBLIC FINANCE, STRUCTURE MATTERS MORE THAN HEADLINE FIGURES. Globally, government budgets are divided into two major cost blocks: capital (fixed/asset costs) and recurrent (operational costs). The fixed structure — buildings, offices, furniture, utilities, maintenance — typically represents a small fraction of…

SALARY IS NOT “NOTHING” — IT IS THE FIRST PROOF THAT GOVERNMENT IS WORKING By AProf. Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke The viral claim that “salary is nothing” in judging Abia’s finances is not just misleading — it directly contradicts global public finance standards. No serious fiscal system in the world treats salary payment, pension settlement, and arrears clearance as irrelevant. That is where real governance begins. NO GOVERNMENT IS CREDITABLE IF IT CANNOT PAY WORKERS AND PENSIONERS. Abia’s inflows — including State and Local Government FAAC — are publicly verifiable through the National Bureau of Statistics FAAC datasets:https://microdata.nigerianstat.gov.ng/index.php/catalog/156https://microdata.nigerianstat.gov.ng/index.php/catalog/156/download/1125/FAAC_Disbursement_August_2024.xlsx Those are official…

₦410BN LGA FUNDS IN ABIA: FACTS, PROJECTS, AND VERIFIED OUTCOMES — A PRO-GOVERNANCE NOTE By AProf. Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke Let us move this discussion from noise to records. Much has been said online about “₦410 billion received by Abia LGAs.” Good. Big numbers deserve serious verification — and serious governance deserves documented credit, not social-media arithmetic.First, the receipts themselves are verifiable through official national data portals. Monthly FAAC allocations — including Local Government disbursements — are published and downloadable from the National Bureau of Statistics microdata system: NBS FAAC Disbursement Portal:https://microdata.nigerianstat.gov.ng/index.php/catalog/156Sample FAAC Workbook (official):https://microdata.nigerianstat.gov.ng/index.php/catalog/156/download/1125/FAAC_Disbursement_August_2024.xlsxMulti-Month FAAC Bundle:https://microdata.nigerianstat.gov.ng/index.php/catalog/156/download/1268/FAAC_January-June_2025.zipThese are not blog posts.…

*A STANDARDS-BASED RELEASE ON ABIA’S PUBLIC FINANCES: *Viral Broadcasts Cannot Substitute for Audited Governance documents* By AProf. Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke Public finance is not a popularity contest. It is not settled by livestreams, prize challenges, or performance outrage. It is settled by standards — fiscal standards, audit standards, reporting standards, and institutional transparency standards.Recent social-media broadcasts on Abia State’s finances have generated attention. Attention, however, is not evidence. Performance is not proof. Aggregated figures are not fiscal analysis.This release provides the correct framework for evaluating Abia State’s finances under Governor Alex C. Otti — using internationally recognized governance benchmarks and…