…debunks decline rumours
…generates N71bn in 2024
The Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) has reported an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of ₦14.16 billion for January and February 2025, reinforcing the impact of Governor Uba Sani’s tax reforms.
In a statement on Friday, KADIRS dismissed claims of declining revenue under the current administration, revealing that Kaduna collected ₦62.48 billion in IGR in 2023 and ₦71 billion in 2024, solidifying its status as the leading IGR-generating state in northern Nigeria.
According to Malam Zakari Muhammad, Head of Corporate Communication at KADIRS, the improved revenue performance is attributed to Governor Sani’s reforms, including the PAYKADUNA integrated tax administration portal, financial inclusion initiatives, and enhanced taxpayer engagement.
KADIRS has also deployed an interactive voice response system for taxpayer complaints and fully automated tax collection, ensuring payments go directly into the State’s Treasury Single Account without staff interference.
Addressing speculation about the removal of the former Executive Chairman, Malam Zakari clarified that he completed his full four-year tenure as per the Kaduna State Tax Codification and Consolidation Law, after which a new chairman was appointed.
“As a validation of the reforms in the revenue sector of the state under Governor Uba Sani, in 2023 and 2024, Kaduna State collected IGR of ₦62.48 billion and ₦71 billion respectively, consolidating its place as the leading IGR performing state in northern Nigeria in the last two years.
“Furthermore, in the months of January and February 2025, Kaduna State has already collected an IGR of ₦7.46 billion and ₦6.68 billion respectively, bringing the total revenue collected in two months to ₦14.16 billion,” the statement disclosed.
Malam Zakari said that Governor Sani has introduced a series of reforms that have improved tax collection and made tax payment easy, including “an integrated tax administration portal (PAYKADUNA), financial inclusion initiatives, enhanced taxpayers and stakeholders’ engagement.”
According to the statement, KADIRS has also deployed “the first-of-its-kind interactive voice response system for taxpayer complains redressal among several initiatives that have resulted in improved tax administration in the state.”
The Head of Corporate Communication further expatiated on the current automation process of tax collection, explaining that “payments are made through the PAYKADUNA portal or via pay direct channels from which they are swept directly into the State’s Treasury Single Accounts.”
This process ensures that staff of the Service have no access or interaction with tax collections, the statement stated.
“The IGR account is a collection and transit account and not an expenditure account therefore, it is highly inaccurate to think that any amounts can be withdrawn from it to service any interests,” it explained.
The statement noted that “the current level of IGR collection of the state speaks to the competence of the Chairman, the management team of the Service and the support they enjoy from the state to function as a professional and apolitical revenue authority of the state.”
Malam Zakari also debunked the rumour that the former Executive Chairman was removed for calling out the Speaker for refusing to pay taxes, explaining that he had served ‘’his entire four-year tenure as provided in the Kaduna State Tax Codification and Consolidation Law, after which a new Executive Chairman was appointed by the Executive Governor.”
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