Northern conference recommends non-tax revenue diversification

The Northern Revenue Conference has ended in Kano with stakeholders recommending diversification of revenue sources to agriculture, solid minerals, exports, tourism and manufacturing. The conference, with the theme: “Readiness, Reforms and Digital transformation,” had 19 Northern state Internal Revenue services in attendance. Rising from the two-day conference, stakeholders also recommended establishment of non-tax revenue departments […]

The Northern Revenue Conference has ended in Kano with stakeholders recommending diversification of revenue sources to agriculture, solid minerals, exports, tourism and manufacturing.

The conference, with the theme: “Readiness, Reforms and Digital transformation,” had 19 Northern state Internal Revenue services in attendance.

Rising from the two-day conference, stakeholders also recommended establishment of non-tax revenue departments for the management of fees and levies as well as integrate non-tax revenues into digital platforms for transparency.

The Northern Tax readiness conference was convened to bring together the chief executives of the 19 Northern state Revenue services, including FCT-IRS,FIRS, JTB and others in response to the four landmark tax reforms acts signed into law by president Bola Tinubu.

The conference also reaffirmed the commitment of the 19 Northern states to fully support the implementation of the 2025 Nigeria Tax reform acts in line with constitutional provisions and best practices.

The conference while noting that the autonomy of state Revenue services remains constrained by bureaucratic bottlenecks and lack of fiscal independence, also recommended harmonisation of tax laws across northern states as well as clear separation of powers between tax authorities.

The stakeholders called for the adoption of digital transformation in revenue collection to enhance Nigeria’s economic growth

They noted that the adoption of digital tools in some states has yielded positive outcomes, citing recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicating significant improvement in revenue generation.

The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Zacch Adedeji, said the Nigerian Government’s ongoing tax reforms are aimed at boosting Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and strengthening subnational economies across the country.

Represented by the Secretary, Joint Tax Board (JTB), Mr Adesokan Olusegun, the FIRS boss said the reforms aimed to simplify tax processes, promote voluntary compliance, and create a fair and transparent tax system.

The Chairman, Kano State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS), Dr Zaid Abubakar, said the conference marked a new phase in tax administration in Northern Nigeria.

Abubakar urged the state revenue agencies to embrace digital transformation and institutional reforms in line with the evolving national tax system.