Delta, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom States received a combined N242.63 billion in oil derivation revenue in the first quarter of 2026, accounting for about 75.4 per cent of the N321.90 billion distributed to Nigeria’s 11 oil-producing states.
The figures, published by BudgIT Nigeria from data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Federation Account Allocation Committee, showed that Delta emerged as the largest beneficiary during the three-month period.
Delta received N101.60 billion, representing about 31.6 per cent of the total derivation allocation. Bayelsa followed with N71.64 billion, while Akwa Ibom received N69.39 billion.
The combined N242.63 billion received by the three states represented approximately three-quarters of the total N321.90 billion shared under the 13 per cent derivation principle between January and March.
Rivers State received N46.09 billion, bringing the combined allocation of the four leading beneficiaries to N288.72 billion, or nearly 90 per cent of the total derivation funds distributed during the quarter.
The remaining beneficiary states received significantly lower allocations.
Ondo State received N9.39 billion, followed by Edo with N7.47 billion and Imo with N7.39 billion. Abia received N5.42 billion, while Anambra got N3.49 billion.
Enugu and Kogi States were at the bottom of the distribution, with each receiving N46,991.
The disparity means Delta’s N101.60 billion allocation was more than two million times the amount received by either Enugu or Kogi.
The 13 per cent derivation principle provides oil-producing states with a share of revenue generated from natural resources extracted within their territories. The arrangement is intended to provide additional resources to producing states to support development and address the impact of oil and gas activities.
Because derivation payments are linked largely to petroleum production, states with larger producing assets and higher output generally receive significantly more than those with smaller or emerging production bases.
The first-quarter figures therefore highlight the continued concentration of Nigeria’s petroleum-linked revenue among a handful of major oil-producing states.
Imo, despite its oil and gas reserves and ongoing upstream activities, received N7.39 billion during the quarter, significantly below the allocations recorded by Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Rivers.
The number of states benefiting from derivation payments has also increased to 11, with Enugu and Kogi joining the group, although their current allocations remain marginal compared with those of established oil-producing states.
The Q1 2026 distribution comes against a broader increase in derivation payments in recent years. Oil-producing states shared N1.51 trillion in derivation revenue in 2025, compared with N671.9 billion in 2024.
The latest figures underscore the extent to which Nigeria’s 13 per cent derivation system remains concentrated around states with the largest petroleum production base, with Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Rivers collectively accounting for almost nine-tenths of the funds distributed in the first quarter.
