Jigawa ranks best on fastest growing of IGR in North

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

The Jigawa state has emerged as the fastest growing among the 19 Northern states and FCT in internally generated revenue (IGR) in 2024.

This was contained in a letter nominating Mallam Umar Namadi, the Executive Governor of the state as the Governor of the Year in IGR Award 2025.

The letter which was received on behalf of the governor by Dr. Nasir Sabo Idris, the Executive Chairman of Jigawa State Internal Revenue Service (JIRS), yesterday in Dutse, Jigawa State, stated that, “On behalf of REVENUE Magazine, a publication of Alford Conferences Limited, we are pleased to notify Your Excellency, Mallam Umar Namadi, Executive Governor of Jigawa State, of your nomination for the Governor of the Year in IGR Award 2025.”

“Based on the available data from Joint Tax Board (JTB), Jigawa State grew its IGR by 127.31% from N27.54billion in 2023 to N62.60billion in 2024, making it the fastest growing on IGR in 2024 among the 19 Northern states and FCT, and the 3rd fastest growing among the 37 subnationals of the country in the year under review.”

The letter to the governor added that, “With its N62.60billion, Jigawa State also ranked 14th among the 37 subnationals in total IGR collections; 5th among the 19 Northern states and FCT; and 3rd among the seven states of the North West Zone in 2024. As far as IGR among Nigerian states today is concerned, Jigawa punched far above its weight in 2024, surpassing others in the North like Katsina, Niger, Bauchi, Kogi, Plateau, Borno, etc, as well as others in the South like Osun, Ondo, Cross River, Anambra, Abia, Ekiti, etc.”

According to the letter, Based on the revenue ranking tables attached to the letter, Jigawa was also the 11th most independent state in revenue in the country in 2024, generating 31.94% of its total revenue of N195.97billion (IGR and federal allocation) internally.

The letter added that Jigawa’s total federal allocation, compiled from the published monthly reports for 2024 on the website of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), was N133.37billion, against an IGR figure of N62.60billion.

According to Mr. Frederick Apeji, the Chairman of Alford Conferences Limited and the convener of the annual Nigerian States IGR Awards, this is a significant achievement by Jigawa State, considering the national clamour in the last several years for states to look inwards to generate more and more of their own resources, rather than depending too much on federal allocations.

While responding to this development after official presentation of the award nomination letter in Dutse, Jigawa State, Dr. Nasir Idris thanked the organizer of the Nigerian States IGR Awards for recognizing the efforts of the state in substantially increasing its IGR by 127.31% in the year under review.

He attributed the performance of the state to the long standing role that Mallam Umar Namadi has played in helping to re-engineer the IGR landscape of the state. “We thank His Excellency for his vision and leadership in driving IGR in the state.

The chairman explained that, the journey actually started in 2015, when Namadi, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), was drafted from Dangote Group and appointed as the Honourable Commissioner of Finance and Economic Planning of the state under the administration of Governor Badaru Abubakar.

The former commissioner was instrumental towards the establishment of the Revenue Law of Jigawa State, and helped to put in place the culture of discipline, compliance and good governance among all the revenue-generating MDAs (ministries, departments and agencies) across the state in terms of proper reporting, accounting and administration of all taxes and other revenues.

He added that, “Our performance in IGR in the state today is traceable to Governor Namadi’s longstanding service as the Commissioner of Finance, then as the Deputy Governor of Jigawa State, and now as the Executive Governor of the state. One major success factor of our state in IGR is the political will demonstrated by the governor in allowing us a very free hand to do our work to the best of our ability, without undue interference from any political or other influential quarters in the state.

“As a former tax administrator at Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), I have tried to replicate some of the schemes, policies and strategies of the federal tax agency in my own home state of Jigawa since I assumed office in 2023.”the chairman said.