The Niger State Internal Revenue Service (NGSIRS) has recorded a huge rise in internally generated revenue, with monthly average collections of between N4 and N5 billion.
The executive chairman of NGIRS, Mohammed Etsu, 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 Governor Umar Bago’s 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 in 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, as he noted 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 NGSIRS 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.
Etsu noted that the retreat aligns 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.
“Over time, especially 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.
“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 said.
He added that, “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.”
