Kano Tops with N1.3bn, Bayelsa Gets Just N358m: How States Shared N22.9bn Ecological Fund in Five Months

Nigeria’s 36 states collectively received N22.9 billion from the Ecological Fund between January and May 2025, according to fresh data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The Ecological Fund, set aside to combat environmental crises such as erosion, desertification, flooding, oil spills, and drought, is managed by the Ecological Fund Office under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

But the latest disbursement figures reveal a striking disparity: while Kano State—not listed among the top high-flood-risk states—received the largest share of N1.29 billion, Bayelsa, one of the country’s most flood-prone states, got just N358.8 million, the least allocation nationwide.

Rising Flood Risk, Uneven Funding

The distribution comes at a time when the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued dire warnings: 1,249 communities across 30 states and the FCT face high flood risk in 2025, with another 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs at moderate risk.

High-risk states named include Abia, Benue, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Jigawa. Last year, flooding claimed 321 lives, affected 1.37 million people, and displaced more than 740,000 Nigerians.

The Regional Breakdown

Across the six geopolitical zones, the North-West cornered the lion’s share of allocations with N5.85 billion, followed by the South-West (N4.59 billion) and the North-East (N4.36 billion).

South-East: N3.15 billion

North-Central: N2.54 billion

South-South (home to Nigeria’s oil-rich but flood-prone Niger Delta): N2.40 billion — the least.

Top and Bottom States

Top Three: Kano (N1.29bn), Lagos (N1.09bn), Borno (N1.01bn)

Bottom Three: Kwara (N361m), Bayelsa (N358.8m), Nasarawa (N374m)

Analysts argue that the allocation formula often reflects political and revenue considerations more than vulnerability to ecological disasters, raising questions about preparedness in high-risk states like Bayelsa and Rivers.

The Policy Puzzle

Critics say Nigeria’s ecological fund distribution underscores a larger governance issue: are states most at risk receiving enough resources to respond to disasters?

With the rainy season approaching, the effectiveness of these funds in reducing the impact of floods, erosion, and desertification will soon be tested on the ground—particularly in states like Bayelsa, where communities already live on the edge of annual flooding.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna