State Attributes Revenue Growth to Economic Diversification, Improved Tax Administration and Strategic Investments
Delta State has recorded a significant increase in its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), rising from about ₦84 billion in 2023 to over ₦200 billion under the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, as the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) commended the state’s economic diversification efforts.
The development was announced in Asaba during the visit of an RMAFC delegation to assess Delta State’s economic diversification strategies and revenue generation initiatives.
Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sunny Ekedayen, said the state achieved an over 138 per cent increase in IGR through an expanded tax net, improved tax administration, enhanced compliance and more efficient revenue collection, stressing that the growth was achieved without increasing personal income tax.
According to him, the Oborevwori administration is reducing the state’s dependence on oil revenue by investing in agriculture, industrialisation, innovation and other non-oil sectors capable of driving sustainable economic growth.
Ekedayen explained that agriculture has become a key pillar of the state’s diversification agenda through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), with the government providing land while private investors supply funding, technology and technical expertise for large-scale cultivation of crops such as cassava and oil palm.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije, said the administration is accelerating industrialisation through strategic infrastructure investments aimed at attracting both local and foreign investors.
He disclosed that the Kwale Industrial Park would soon become fully powered, while efforts are also underway in collaboration with the Federal Government to revive commercial activities at the Warri and Forcados ports.
Leader of the RMAFC delegation, Mr. Victor Eboigbe, described dependence on crude oil revenue as unsustainable and commended the Delta State Government for implementing policies aimed at expanding the state’s economic base.
Similarly, the Federal Commissioner representing Delta State in RMAFC, Hon. Aruviere Martins Egwarhevwa, said the visit formed part of the Commission’s constitutional mandate to evaluate states’ economic diversification efforts and strengthen collaboration on fiscal development.
He expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded by Delta State and encouraged the government to sustain the momentum to ensure long-term economic prosperity and increased revenue generation.
