Kaduna State launches first online revenue collection portal

From: Femi Oyelola in Kaduna

Kaduna State Government has introduced a digital Portal and other online revenue collection channels to improve revenue collection and enhance efficiency.

The Executive Chairman of Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), Comrade Jerry Adams, asserted this during a press conference in Kaduna, yesterday.

According to him, the platform known as PAYKADUNA Portals is the first of its kind in the country, adding that, the State Government is taking deliberate steps to centralize all IGR-related data into a single database.

“This groundbreaking initiative—the first of its kind in Kaduna State and Nigeria—will enable data-driven decision-making, improve revenue forecasting, and enhance overall efficiency in tax administration.”

Reacting to certain claims made by the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, over alleged reductions in revenue of the State, Comrade Jerry Adams said while the former Governor may have acted based on limited or inaccurate information, or perhaps deliberately chosen to distort facts, it is imperative to clarify these issues for the discerning public.

According to him, the former Governor alleged that the previous administration generated N7 billion monthly in internally generated revenue (IGR) compared to the N2 billion allegedly collected under the current administration.

He disclosed that a closer look at the facts reveals otherwise, saying that between 2019 and 2023, the highest the service collected was N59B, which was in 2022, and that translates to a monthly average of N4.9B.

“It is noteworthy to state that a significant portion of revenue reported by KADIRS then, i.e. (2019-2022) came from back-duty recoveries and sales of government properties amounting to N22 billion and N25 billion, respectively—totaling N45 billion and other sources such as exchange gains differentials.

“When these one-off inflows are discounted, the actual monthly revenue collection during that period paints a different picture.”

According to the Chairman, the post-El-Rufai era figures speak for themselves, noting that in 2023, Kaduna State recorded an IGR of N62.48 billion, and in 2024, the figure rose to N71 billion—an average monthly collection of N5.2billion and N6.0billion, respectively.

“Kaduna State led in IGR performance in northern Nigeria in 2023 as declared by the National Bureau of Statistics and one of the leading sub-national IRS nationwide as the 2024 figures are still being vetted and verified by the NBS.”