State Leaps from ₦27.5bn to ₦62.6bn, Fastest-Growing in Northern Nigeria
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, has been honoured with the 2025 Excellence Award on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) after steering the state’s local revenue from ₦27.5 billion in 2023 to an unprecedented ₦62.6 billion in 2024 — a leap of more than 200% in just two years.
According to official reports, Jigawa posted the fastest IGR growth rate among the 19 Northern states and the FCT last year, outpacing states like Katsina, Niger, Bauchi, Kogi, and even Southern peers such as Osun, Ondo, Cross River, Anambra, Abia, and Ekiti.
The award, conferred by Revenue Magazine, Abuja, was presented to the governor through the Executive Chairman of the Jigawa State Internal Revenue Service (JIRS), Dr. Nasiru Sabo, by the magazine’s publisher, Mr. Frederick Apeji.
Mr. Apeji hailed Jigawa’s transformation in revenue administration as “a model worthy of emulation,” noting that improved IGR meant “more resources for infrastructure, better public service delivery, and sustainable economic growth.”
The magazine also recognised Dr. Sabo for leading reforms that ranked Jigawa 3rd in IGR growth in the Northwest and 14th nationwide.
Dr. Sabo attributed the feat to Governor Namadi’s 12-point development agenda, which prioritises revenue reforms.
“We introduced the Jigawa Enlightenment and Engagement Tax Team (JEETT) and the Jigawa Integrated Tax Administration System (JIGTAS), ending multiple taxation, blocking leakages, and boosting efficiency,” he said.
Governor Namadi’s win cements Jigawa’s position as one of Nigeria’s rising stars in fiscal independence — a trajectory analysts say could become a benchmark for other states seeking to wean themselves off federal allocations.