Kwara IGR Jumps 201% to ₦92.2bn as Digital Tax Reforms Transform Revenue Collection
Kwara IGR Jumps 201% to ₦92.2bn as Digital Tax Reforms Transform Revenue Collection
Kwara State has recorded a major turnaround in its internally generated revenue, with annual collections rising from about ₦30.6 billion in 2019 to ₦92.2 billion in 2025 following a series of technology-driven reforms in the state’s revenue administration.
The increase represents approximately 201 per cent growth within six years and highlights the changing revenue profile of the state under the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, KW-IRS.
At the centre of the reforms is the Executive Chairman of KW-IRS, Shade Omoniyi, who was first appointed by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in October 2019 and reappointed for a second and final tenure in October 2023.
Revenue figures show that Kwara generated about ₦30.64 billion in 2019 before collections dropped to ₦19.62 billion in 2020 amid the economic disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state’s IGR subsequently recovered to approximately ₦26.96 billion in 2021 and ₦35.45 billion in 2022.
Collections accelerated afterwards, reaching ₦56.42 billion in 2023, ₦69.19 billion in 2024 and ₦92.19 billion in 2025.
The performance has been linked to reforms aimed at plugging revenue leakages, expanding the tax base, improving voluntary compliance and replacing manual collection processes with technology.
One of the major interventions has been the deployment of digital platforms that allow taxpayers to register, file returns, make payments and obtain electronic tax clearance certificates without relying entirely on physical processes.
KW-IRS has also deployed data-driven approaches to taxpayer identification and validation as part of efforts to improve compliance and reduce duplication.
Rather than relying primarily on introducing new taxes, the revenue strategy has focused on improving the efficiency of existing collections, widening the tax net and strengthening coordination among government agencies and other stakeholders.
The reforms have also included changes to the management of consultancy arrangements and other collection-related costs.
According to figures reported on the reforms, KW-IRS generated more than ₦300 billion cumulatively between 2019 and the end of 2025.
Beyond revenue collection, the government has moved to consolidate KW-IRS operations through the development of the Kwara Revenue House in Ilorin.
The project was conceived to bring different units of the revenue agency together, improve staff coordination and provide a more integrated environment for tax administration and taxpayer services.
The growth in IGR comes amid continuing debate across Nigeria over the capacity of states to strengthen internally generated revenue and reduce their vulnerability to fluctuations in allocations from the Federation Account.
For Kwara, the revenue figures suggest that technology, improved taxpayer data, tighter controls and institutional reforms are playing an increasingly important role in expanding the state’s internally generated resources.
The longer-term test, however, will be whether the revenue system can sustain the growth while maintaining taxpayer confidence, improving compliance and ensuring that increased collections translate into measurable public services and development.
