The Republic
Federal Budgets

Gowon1974· ₦4.54bn collected · ₦2.74bn spent· Chapter I · Money

Federal fiscal outturn, 1974

The first oil shock: revenue nearly trebled in a single year and the federation recorded its largest surplus of the decade. The Udoji salary award followed at the end of the year. The federation collected ₦4.54bn — 82 per cent of it from oil — and the Federal Government spent ₦2.74bn, closing the year with a surplus of ₦1.8bn.

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These are actual outturns as later published by the Central Bank, not the figures announced in the budget speech.

• Total federally collected revenue: ₦4.54bn • Gross oil revenue: ₦3.72bn (82%) • Federal Government total expenditure: ₦2.74bn • Recurrent: ₦1.52bn · Capital: ₦1.22bn • Overall balance: +₦1.8bn

Why revenue and spending do not match simply: 'federally collected revenue' is everything that entered the Federation Account before it was shared with the states and councils, while 'expenditure' is only the Federal Government's own spending. From 1970 to 1985 recurrent spending excludes statutory transfers to the states; from 1992 to 1997 it includes extra-budgetary spending. Naira figures are nominal — the currency lost most of its value after 1986, so later years look larger than they were in real terms.

The first oil shock: revenue nearly trebled in a single year and the federation recorded its largest surplus of the decade. The Udoji salary award followed at the end of the year.

What it cost — political & economic reality

The political and economic reality

Nigeria in 1974: who was in charge, the cabinet of the day, the GDP, and the crises that defined the period.

Head of State · Military

Gen. Yakubu Gowon

1966–1975

National reality

Counter-coup of July 1966, Biafran War (1967–70), then the oil-boom expansion. Twelve-state structure (1967) replaced the four regions. Three Rs (Reconciliation, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation) and indigenisation began.

Crises of the period

  • Biafran Civil War 1967–70 (1–3 million dead)
  • 1973 OPEC oil shock + boom
  • FESTAC '77 preparations

GDP (World Bank)

$12.5 bn (1970) → $27.7 bn (1975, oil boom)

Cabinet (selected portfolios)

  • Finance (Commissioner)

    Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1967–71)

  • Education (Commissioner)

    A.Y. Eke (c.1967)

Federal Executive Council of commissioners; full roster being compiled.

Sources · Federal Military Government records · World Bank WDI

Methodology

Tier 1 · primary

Courts. Gazettes. National archives.

Tier 2 · corroborating

OCCRP. HRW. BudgIT. TheCable.

Tier 4 · tertiary, flagged

Wikipedia only where primary is pending. Always labelled.