Governor says Kwara now generates N1.5b monthly

Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara says the state government now generates about N1.5billion monthly as internally generated revenue.

Ahmed made this known while speaking at a function organised by members of the ‘Third Estate,’ in Ilorin on Tuesday.

The governor said this was against the monthly revenue of N500 million the state used to generate before the introduction of new revenue collection strategy through the State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS).

He noted that state government must look beyond earnings from the federation account in order to survive present funding challenges.

According to the governor, his administration has since changed the process of revenue generation without introducing new taxes to meet the current challenges of infrastructural development.

“I am happy that the consciousness has come to us as a country, as a state and most importantly as a government that we cannot continue to depend on federation allocations.

“Hence, we have been able to drive our internally generated revenue by changing the process and the personnel,” he explained.

He said that the state government would have been in dire financial challenges but for the increased internally generated revenue.

The governor added that his government has resolved not to lay off workers at state and local government in order not to compound the prevailing difficulties.

Ahmed said as part of his administration’s effort to drive agriculture as money earner for the state, it has earmarked 10, 000 hectares of land for next farming season to deepen the administration’s off- taker demand driven initiative in agriculture.

Earlier in his remarks, the chairman, Third Estate, Dr Yusuf Lawal, said the body has rendered community support to the people.

Lawal listed such support to include provision of borehole, financial assistance to indigent students and scholarship to brilliant students for post graduates studies from Ilorin Emirate.