Kwara generates N1.5b IGR

As part of efforts to improve the fortune of the State, Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed said the state government now generates about N1.5B monthly as internally generated revenue from about N500m monthly that was generated before the introduction of new revenue collection strategy through the State Inteernal Revenue Service.

Governor Ahmed who said this at a function organised by members of Third Estate, Ilorin, noted that states must look beyond earnings from the federation account in order to survive present funding challenges from the federal government which hinder the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities to the people.

According to the Governor, his administration has since changed the process of revenue generation without introducing new taxes to meet the current challenges of infrastructural development.

“I am happy that the consciousness has come to us as a country , as a state and most importantly as a government that we cannot continue to depend on federation allocations. Hence, we have been able to drive our internally generated revenue by changing the process and the personnel”, he explained.

He said the State would have been in a dire financial challenges but for the increased internally generated revenue as whatever comes from the centre ” goes into paying salaries and wages as the government as resolved not to lay off workers at state and local government “, in order not to compound the prevailing difficulties .

The governor said as part of his administration’s effort to drive agriculture as money earner for the state,10,000 hectares have been earmarked for next farming season to deepen the administration’s Off- taker Demand Driven initiative in agriculture.

The chairman, Third Estate, Dr. Yusuf Lawal in his remarks said the body has rendered community support such as the provision of borehole, financial assistance to indigent students and scholarship to brilliant students for post graduates studies from Ilorin Emirate .