The Nasarawa State government has expressed its determination to increase its internally generated revenue (IGR) to N5 billion per month in 2026 as part of its “Budget of Strategic Consolidation.”

Munira Abdullahi, the state commissioner for budget and economic planning, stated this in Lafia on Monday during a ministerial briefing organised by Ibrahim Tanko, commissioner for information, culture, and tourism.

The briefing is to enable government officials to showcase their achievements.

The commissioner, represented by Peter Akolo, director of budget in the ministry, said the budget, valued at N545.2 billion, prioritises infrastructure development, job creation, and social services to improve citizens’ quality of life.

She explained that the government had set the ball rolling to expand its revenue base and reduce its dependence on federal allocations, ensuring the effective and logical implementation of the budget for the benefit of the state’s people.

The commissioner noted that the state had put in place a robust mechanism to leverage the component of royalties and haulage revenues from the state’s solid mineral deposits to boost its IGR.

“We have a data-based approach and have begun a process to group all illegal miners in the state into cooperative societies, register them, and ensure that they pay the desired tax as part of our efforts to boost our IGR.

“The ministry will rigorously monitor and track the implementation of all projects, programmes and policies outlined in the budget.

“We generated over N52 billion as IGR in 2025 as a state, and we intend to exceed that in 2026 with a target of N5 billion every month, targeting N60 billion in the year,” she added.

On the implementation of the new tax regime, the commissioner said the state government had put machinery in motion to domesticate it to ensure its full implementation.

On his part, Mr Tanko, commissioner for information, culture, and tourism, said that his ministry had created many avenues, including the ministerial briefing, to enlighten, educate, and inform the public about the policies, programmes and projects embarked on by the present administration in the state.

He highlighted that his ministry was collaborating with the state revenue service to ensure that all hotels in the state begin paying the required taxes.

The commissioner explained that people should endeavour to pay their taxes to enable the government to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

Mr Tanko further explained that the government had allocated more than N30 billion for the construction of four flyovers and four underpasses in the Akwanga, Keffi, Mararaba, and Karu local government areas alone to ease traffic congestion in the benefiting areas.

The commissioner further explained that the 2026 budget is the biggest in the history of the state, aimed at consolidating the progress being made and enabling the government to complete all ongoing projects to avoid project abandonment.

He also called on the public, especially those from communities where schools and other facilities are provided, to take ownership and ensure their protection against criminals, vandals, and saboteurs.

(NAN)