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On 27th January 2026, policymakers from Nigeria’s Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) gathered at Keble College - Oxford University for a workshop on Fiscal Federalism and Horizontal Equalisation Strategies, organised by the London Centre for Experiential Learning and Corporate Training (LCELCT). The three-day programme brought together international perspectives on the design of subnational fiscal transfer systems, with a particular focus on horizontal equalisation, resource allocation, and equalisation.
As part of the programme, TaxDev’s David Phillips delivered a presentation on the UK’s systems of subnational funding allocation and revenue-raising powers and lessons for emerging economies. David provided an overview of the UK’s asymmetric system of devolution, the role of the Barnett formula in funding the devolved administrations, and the evolution of local government finance in England. Drawing on the UK’s experience with devolution and recent reforms to local government finance, David highlighted the importance of clear principles underpinning fiscal equalisation systems, the inherently subjective nature of sub-national funding systems and the need for reforms to acknowledge this, and the difficulty of reforming funding arrangements once they become embedded – meaning opportunities for beneficial reform must be grasped.
David Phillips presenting (Photo: Bukola Ajayi-Obe/LCELCT)
Published on: 19th February 2026
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