The Niger State Internal Revenue Service has recorded has seen a huge rise in its internally generated revenue.
According to report, NGIRS has witnessed monthly average collections of between N4 billion and N5 billion.
Mohammed Etsu, the executive chairman of NGIRS, disclosed this at the Ethical Leadership Retreat 2026 held in Suleja on Tuesday.
He described the growth as the outcome of sustained institutional reforms initiated at all levels by the Governor Umar Bago administration, part of which includes deliberate investment in human capital development.
According to him, the governor’s reforms are now beginning to yield fruit as evidenced by the exponential jump in internally generated revenue from N600 million monthly to the current figures.
Etsu said the agency’s improved performance reflects a strategic focus on strengthening staff capacity, noting that revenue generation in a complex public sector environment requires more than systems and policies.
He explained that the leadership retreat was designed to reinforce ethical standards within the agency, particularly given the sensitive nature of revenue administration where trust and accountability are critical.
According to him, the training seeks to address systemic gaps in integrity, leadership conduct and block revenue leakages which often undermine efficiency in public revenue institutions.
“By instilling ethical values among staff, the agency aims to deepen public confidence and enhance compliance across all revenue streams,” he said.
The NGIRS boss emphasised that ethical leadership remains central to sustaining the agency’s growth trajectory, adding that the credibility of tax administrators directly influences citizens’ willingness to meet their obligations.
He noted that the retreat aligned with the state government’s objective of building a transparent and accountable revenue system capable of supporting development priorities without over-reliance on federal allocations.
He said,
“Over time, in the last four years, we have been able to pilot the affairs of this organisation to an above average level compared to where we met it. And empirically, I could just state that at the time I came into office, the average collections on a monthly basis was N500 million to N600 million per month.
“And we have now been able to upgrade that substantially to an average of N4billion to N5 billion on a monthly basis. So, I think without sounding immodest, we would actually appreciate ourselves and my team with the fact that we have performed above average based on statistics available.”
He added,
“No matter what you try to do, if you do not build capacity for those who will move such an institution, you may not move anywhere. So in the last four years, the major basis of our development of revenue generation in Niger State had to do with improving the capacity of staff of the agency.
“So as revenue administrators, our integrity directly shapes public trust. And without that trust, we cannot fulfil our mandate to the state government. That is why we encourage this kind of training to equip our staff to know where we stand based on the vision we have set to reach for ourselves.”
Equally, the IMF applauded the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the successful conclusion of the banking sector recapitalisation, noting that stronger capital buffers were already proving effective in cushioning the financial system against external shocks.
Meanwhile, the IMF endorsed Nigeria’s banking sector recapitalisation drive, noting that stronger capital buffers were already proving effective in cushioning the financial system against external shocks.
The Fund stressed that stronger fiscal positions remained essential for emerging markets to withstand volatile global capital flows and reduce vulnerability to sudden market shifts.
Speaking at the presentation of the Global Financial Stability Report at the Spring Meetings, IMF Financial Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department, Tobias Adrian, said recapitalisation efforts tend to show their value most clearly during periods of stress.
He noted that building a well-capitalised banking system remains central to global financial stability, particularly as economies navigate heightened uncertainty.
He said:
“Concerning bank recapitalisation, it is in times of stress where the value of bank capital really comes to the fore. So, what we are aiming at for global financial stability is a banking sector that is capitalised against adverse shocks.
“So yes, the banking recapitalisation is welcome and are paying off, particularly under times of stress concerning debt to GDP and what the IMF is doing.”
On capital flows to Sub-Saharan Africa, he explained that the ongoing Middle East conflict has triggered a stronger-than-usual shift in the movement of funds compared to past crises. He noted that the scale of capital flow reactions was roughly twice what was seen in the early months of the Ukraine war.
He said: “When we are looking at capital flows since the beginning of the war in the Middle East, and compare that to previous episodes of conflict, we do see a sort of outsized reaction in terms of capital flows, but at the same time.”
Commenting on capital flows, Jason Wu, the assistant director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department at the IMF, said reliance is increasingly skewed towards debt rather than FDI and equity.
He noted that across emerging markets, those with stronger fiscal positions tend to have better access to international markets and lower debt spreads.
[Source: Leadership.ng]
