Ekiti Tops IGR Annual Growth Rate Ranking

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

Ekiti State has topped the 2023 Annual Growth Rate ranking with an increase in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from N17.03billion in 2022 to N29.82billion in 2023, representing a 75 percent growth rate.

According to the report circulated by the apex body for tax authorities in Nigeria, the Joint Tax Board (JTB), at its 155th meeting at Zuma Rock Resort, Suleja, Niger State, Ekiti State also moved from being one of the worst five states to the 16th position in Total Collections Ranking and progressed from the 33rd to 15th position under the Direct Assessment Parameters.

Reacting to the development, the state Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, described the remarkable improvement as the effect of Governor Biodun Oyebanji administration’s proactive measures and policies, which have created a conducive environment for both local and foreign investment and bolstered the trust of taxpayers leading to improved voluntary compliance.

Olatunbosun recalled that the data recently released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated that only Ekiti State, Lagos State, and FCT attracted foreign investment and contributed to the country’s capital importation in the first quarter of 2024, adding that the state was also prominent among the 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that achieved the same feat last year.

Stressing that the administration is irrevocably committed to promoting economic stability and rapidly developing the state, Olatunbosun solicited the continued support of all stakeholders, assuring that the Oyebanji administration’s policy of inclusive governance would continue to encourage participation of all stakeholders towards achieving the desired goals.

The commissioner also commended the tenacity of the leadership and officials of the State Internal Revenue Service (EKIRS) for what he described as the yeoman service they are performing, noting that it is remarkable that they remain humane but firm in the discharge of their duties which culminated in significant improvement in the state’s reporting and innovative collections.