By Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
The Jigawa State Internal Revenue Services (JIRS) has reported a significant increase in the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR), rising from N1.2 billion in August to an impressive N4.2 billion in October 2024.
Dr. Nasir Sabo, the JIRS Chairman, shared this achievement with journalists following a meeting with the Federal Commissioner on Revenue Mobilization, Hajiya Hauwa Umar Aliyu, and the 27 local government chairmen, held at the Ministry for Local Government’s new secretariat in Dutse.
Dr. Sabo attributed this substantial growth in IGR to several new policies implemented by his team, in collaboration with the current administration under Governor Malam Umar Namadi.
“The increase in IGR is largely due to the digitalisation of our revenue collection process through electronic tax collection,” he explained.
This new digital registration and tax collection system, he noted, has been instrumental in reducing revenue leaks and ensuring that tax collection is more efficient.
The chairman added that JIRS has also capitalised on enhanced federal allocations to local governments, leveraging a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with all 27 local governments in the state.
This collaboration, Dr. Sabo asserted, has strengthened revenue collection channels and fostered closer working relationships with local authorities.
Further, Dr. Sabo noted that increased contracts awarded by the state government in September, coupled with a state-wide awareness campaign on the importance of tax payment, have contributed to the impressive revenue surge.
The campaign emphasised how tax revenues are directly invested in community infrastructure development, boosting taxpayer engagement.
“We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the state and the 27 local governments on revenue collection processes,” Dr. Sabo detailed.
“We also initiated partnerships with other revenue collection agencies, focusing on strategic IGR growth and development initiatives. This includes deploying technology to counter tax evasion in Jigawa State, introducing software to monitor high-net-worth individuals, and building the capacity of JIRS staff on issues such as tax evasion, anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorism financing (CTF), and information and technology resource sharing, as well as taxation of informal sectors, among others.”
Dr. Sabo commended Governor Malam Umar Namadi for his unwavering support of the JIRS initiatives, and also urged the public to cooperate with the new policies, underscoring that their compliance is vital to enhancing revenue services and fostering the development of Jigawa State.
