NBA Minna Hails Niger State Government for Approaching Supreme Court over 13% Derivation Exclusion
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Minna Branch, has thrown its weight behind the Niger State Government’s legal action instituted at the Supreme Court against the Federal Government over the state’s exclusion from the 13% derivation fund provided under Section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution.
In a press statement personally signed by the Chairman of the NBA Minna Branch, Isyaku Barau, the association described the lawsuit as “courageous,” “constitutionally grounded,” and “a vital step toward fiscal justice and equitable federalism.”
According to the association, Niger State’s long-standing role as host to major hydroelectric dams — Kainji, Jebba, Shiroro, and Zungeru — has contributed massively to the national power supply, yet the state continues to be left out of the derivation benefits given to resource-producing states.
“It is both ironic and regrettable that while Niger State provides the platform for such immense federal revenue and energy generation, it remains excluded from the benefits of derivation,” the statement read.
The NBA further highlighted the environmental degradation, agricultural displacement, and flooding experienced by communities around the dams, calling for equitable treatment of the state in line with constitutional guarantees and natural justice.
The statement concluded by reaffirming the Bar’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that no state suffers exclusion where its rights are clearly guaranteed under the Constitution.
