An investigation carried out by Nigerian Tribune has revealed why most of the states have been unable to fulfil their salary obligations to their staff since the drastic decline in crude oil prices.
Internally generated revenue (IGR) of most of the states have been declining even as crude prices went on the downward spiral in the second half of 2014.
All the 36 states collected a total of N683.6 billion in 2015, a data from the National Bureau of Statistics has revealed.
A breakdown of the 2015 figures indicated that of the total, Lagos state collection was 38 per cent, Rivers- 12 per cent, Delta- seven per cent and all others- 43 per cent.
Details of the data posted on the website of the statistics agency revealed that the figure was N24.2 billion less than the N707.8 billion collected in 2014.
Lagos, which has the highest IGR figures collected N268.2 in 2015 as against N276.1 a difference of N7.7 billion
Rivers on the other hand, collected N82.1 during the year under review, which was N7.01 billion less than the N89.1 billion figure for 2014.
Delta raked in N40.8 billion for the year and fell short of the N42.8 billion it realized in 2014.
Ogun State on the other hand, was one of the sterling exceptions as it almost doubled its collection in 2015, shooting its figures to N34.6 billion as against the N17.4 billion it raked in the previous year.
Figures for Oyo State also declined by N643.7 million or 4.11 per cent as it collected N15.6 billion against the N16.3 billion of 2014.
States with lowest IGR in 2015 include Yobe- N2.3 billion; Zamfara- N2.7 billion; Ekiti- N3.3 billion; Borno- N3.5 billion; Kebbi- N3.6 billion.
Historically, the 36 states collected N487 billion in 2011, N585 in 2012 and N662 in 2013.
According to the NBS, between 2010 and 2015 all the states collected N3.48 trillion as internally generated revenues.
Source: Tribune