Public Financial Management and Rural Development in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria: A Re-assessment Perspective from TSA to AkwaRemit (2018–2026)

Abstract

This study examines Akwa Ibom State's transition from its earlier Treasury Single Account (TSA) regime to the more strictly enforced AkwaRemit platform, introduced following a documented revenue remittance shortfall. Prior research had evaluated the state's initial TSA adoption in 2015 and its effects on rural development outcomes at the local government level, but no study had yet examined the 2025–2026 AkwaRemit transition. Using a descriptive, comparative research design, this study draws on secondary data from the Akwa Ibom State 2024 Auditor-General's Report, the 2024 Accrual Basis IPSAS Financial Statements, and verified news reporting on the AkwaRemit rollout. Findings show that more than 20 percent of the state's 2024 Internally Generated Revenue was not remitted into the Consolidated Revenue Fund prior to the reform, and that AkwaRemit's implementation was followed by reported revenue growth from ₦7.5 billion to ₦12 billion within three months. However, the reform's rigid centralization of fund disbursement was also associated with reported service delivery disruption among some ministries, departments, and agencies. Interpreted through Public Accountability Theory and Udoh's Pawpaw/Papaya and Pineapple theories of resource distribution, the findings suggest that AkwaRemit has, to date, strengthened revenue consolidation more clearly than it has demonstrated equitable redistribution toward rural development. The study recommends differentiated implementation for time-sensitive agencies, joint public reporting on revenue and service delivery outcomes, and longitudinal follow-up research as AkwaRemit matures.