The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, OFR, has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and strategic collaboration with the media. He stated this while granting audience to a delegation from BusinessDay Newspaper led by the Managing Director, Mr. Ogenevwoke who paid him a courtesy visit at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday 5th August 2026.
Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Bello Shehu expressed appreciation for the visit and commended BusinessDay for its consistent contribution to effective and efficient journalism over the past 25 years. He described the visit as a demonstration of the media organization’s commitment to strengthening public understanding of Nigeria’s fiscal governance architecture through constructive engagement with the Commission.
“Our doors are always open. We need the media, and the media needs us. Through this partnership, Nigerians will continue to receive accurate information about the constitutional responsibilities and activities of the Commission,” the Chairman stated.
Dr. Bello Shehu used the opportunity to highlight the Commission’s constitutional mandate, which includes monitoring accruals into and disbursement from the Federation Account reviewing and recommending the revenue allocation formula, determining the remuneration of political office holders, judicial officers and legislators and advising government on economic diversification.
While shedding light on some of the Commission’s recent and ongoing activities, Dr. Bello Shehu disclosed that the review of the Revenue Allocation Formula has been substantially completed and is awaiting the final draft before transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for onward presentation to the National Assembly.
According to him, the Commission has adopted a more collaborative legal approach by working closely with the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor-General of the Federation to ensure that all legal processes are concluded before submission. He explained that this approach was designed to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks that had characterised previous reviews.
“We have concluded the substantive work and are optimistic that within the next two weeks, the final draft will be ready from our end. We have already briefed Mr. President, and we believe the process will move seamlessly to the National Assembly,” he said. The Chairman further revealed that the review was based on extensive nationwide research involving both quantitative and qualitative assessments. He disclosed that the Commission relied not only on data from the National Bureau of Statistics and other government institutions but also conducted field assessments across the country with the support of technical experts.
He added that the review also reflects constitutional developments since 1999, including the expanded responsibilities of state governments in areas such as electricity generation and distribution, railway services, correctional services, and state policing.
Responding to the request for a strategic partnership between the newspaper and the Commission, Dr. Shehu welcomed the proposal, reiterating the Commission’s readiness to provide credible information that would enhance public awareness and promote informed national discourse on fiscal federalism.
In their contributions, Hon. Ismail Muhammed Agaka and Hon. Ahmed Waziri Hassan Federal Commissioners representing Kwara and Adamawa states respectively in the Commission commended BusinessDay for its professionalism and emphasized the importance of sustained collaboration between the media and public institutions in promoting transparency, accountability and good governance.
They described information dissemination as a vital instrument for strengthening public confidence in government institutions and encouraged the newspaper to continue to project the Commission’s constitutional role and achievements.
Earlier, the Managing Director of BusinessDay Newspaper, Mr. Ogenevwoke Ighure, congratulated Dr. Bello Shehu on his recent international recognitions, including the Africa Business Leadership Award which he described as deserving acknowledgements of the Chairman’s outstanding leadership style.
He observed that under Dr. Bello Shehu’s leadership, RMAFC has become significantly more visible and transparent, enabling Nigerians to better understand the Commission’s critical role in the nation’s fiscal management.
According to him, BusinessDay considered it important to personally identify with the Chairman’s achievements, noting that while international organizations had already recognized his contributions, it was equally important for Nigerian institutions to celebrate exemplary public service.
“This is the first time many Nigerians are beginning to understand the critical work of RMAFC. Your leadership has brought the Commission into the public space through transparency, accountability and effective communication,” he said.
Mr. Ighure also announced that BusinessDay would soon formally invite Dr. Bello Shehu to receive one of its prestigious Public Service Awards in recognition of his outstanding contributions to public sector leadership and institutional reforms.
The BusinessDay Managing Director proposed a strategic partnership between the newspaper and the Commission through BusinessDay’s weekly Fiscal Intelligence publication, which focuses on fiscal policy, public finance and economic governance.
He explained that the proposed collaboration would enable both organizations to co-create factual, data-driven content that would deepen public understanding of fiscal issues while ensuring accurate and timely reporting of the Commission’s activities.
The Secretary to the Commission, Comrade Tosin Johnson Adeyemi, the Acting Director of the Chairman’s Office, Muhammad Gidado Yahaya and the Special Adviser to the Chairman on Finance, Mohammed Wada witnessed the occassion.
The BusinessDay Managing Director was accompanied on the visit by the Director BusinessDay Media limited, John Osadolor, the copy sales manager. Florence Kadiri, Tony Ailemen and Geoffry Essien
Umar Maryam Yusuf
Head, information and public relations unit, RMAFC.