₦airaland Forum

ANAMBRA11:
So?Will the internal revenue take away the red roof from ibadan and oshogbo? No

BuddahMonk:
Its a no man's land, what is Yoruba name for lagos, does lagos loolk like an average Yoruba enclave of ibadam, abeokuta and oshogbo slums?

That lagos has some streets name in yorobanames does not handed the city over to you, besides most places that have Yoruba streetnames are the worst places a Pig wont even pass a night in okokomaiko, ajegunle, ijora badia, ipaja ayobo, orile agege and othe shanties like makoko, places like these are predominantly Yorubas having their ibadam and oshogbo communal lifestyle of shitting inside buckets and waterproof there.

Lagos is a no man's land, OUK said it and nothing happened, anybody can say it and nothing will happen.

Go back to ibadam and oshogbo, Lagos is for all Nigerians, Lagos is a no man's land

Segeggs:
@bolded. OUK said it and it angered FFK, fashola and yorubas. The dude had to recant when he realized his properties in lagos where getting seized by the government. It's only on nairaland I hear lagos is a no man's land and it only comes from Ibos. You can never hear the hausas, edos, calabars, efiks, taapaas, fulanis, ijaws etc calling or participating in the foolery of lagos a no man's land, only deluded Ibos

BuddahMonk:
Igbos will keep dishing the truth while you burn eating it.

Lagos is a NML and Awolowo commited suicide

BuddahMonk:
Lagos a No Man's Land-20%.

Southwest (BRR) of Oyo, Ondo,Osun, Ekiti Ogun-9%

BRR-Brown Roofs Republic

Explicit01:
Southwest is the highest when it comes to IGR, this is because of the proximity of their states to lagos. Southwest remains the head when it comes to commercialization and industrialization but I think southwest won't have a chance if lagos is removed cos the likes of ogun, oyo, osun, ondo etc are not any better than other nigerian states.

Explicit01:
Southwest is the highest when it comes to IGR, this is because of the proximity of their states to lagos. Southwest remains the head when it comes to commercialization and industrialization but I think southwest won't have a chance if lagos is removed cos the likes of ogun, oyo, osun, ondo etc are not any better than other nigerian states.

Ogun, most industrially developed state in Nigeria - Jonathan

14.Mar.2014 DISQUS_COMMENTS

President Goodluck Jonathan has described Ogun State as the most industrially developed state in the country and attributed the state’s new status to the economic plan of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration.

The President further expressed the readiness of the Federal Government to partner with the state government in its rebuilding mission.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Procter and Gamble multi million dollar plant in Agbara, Ogun State, Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President, Namadi Sambo, affirmed that the Amosun-led administration was creating a conducive environment for business to thrive in the state.

“I believe Ogun State is the most industrially developed state in this country. We will partner with you. We will work with you based on synergies and policies that allow for business to thrive”, he said.

The president revealed that the contract for the construction of a standard guage fast train that would connect Lagos through Ogun State to Ibadan had been awarded, adding that, “Olorunsogo Power Plant in Ogun has been successfully completed and privatised”.

While pointing out that plans for the long awaited Lagos-Sokoto Road had reached an advanced stage, the president emphasised that, its designs were being completed and the work would be executed under a Public Private Partnership arrangement.

“Federal Government is building an additional power transmission system, as well as investing in development of gas infrastructure to support the efforts of the state government”, he said.

In his remarks, Amosun disclosed that the commissioning was the 43rd he would be performing in less than three years of his administration, stating that the newly commissioned multi million dollar investments would create 2000 direct and indirect job opportunities for the people of the state.

He charged all industries resident in the state to be up and doing in their Corporate Social Responsibility to their host communities, while reiterating that his administration would not shirk its responsibility in providing security and enabling environment for investors.

shizzle11:
Lagos state is Nigeria's Commonwealth, can we have the state by state breakdown? what is the IGR of the South West states minus lagos?

Gbawe:
Seriously? When, as an example, Ogun is probably the most industrialised State in Nigeria? The problem is the pervasive ignorance and sentimental obduracy permeating these sort of discussions and making them a cesspit of ignorance and misinformation rather than the source of fact and knowledge that can enrich our understanding of how Nigeria is led in reality. Just because it suits some people to tell the entire world that the SW is nothing without Lagos does not make this true. Far from it. Do some basic investigation and find out for yourself. This is also why political awareness is important. If some care to put aside mindless hatred of the APC they will discover that its ACN SW root was totally dedicated, as a cornerstone policy, to the aggressive increment of IGR.

Even Lagos some disingenuously and wrongly ascribe the "no man's land" tag to, just so they can claim 'contributory superiority over its commendable IGR', would have an IGR in the doldrums for its potentials if the ACN (now APC) had not supervised the massive IGR increase the State enjoy through practices (efficient tax collection for example) and policies (PPP arrangement to hasten infrastructural progress, leveraging on areas of competitive advantage such as agriculture, tourism et al) that secured stupendous IGR increase over a decade.

Why has anything minimally close to what we have seen in Lagos not happened anywhere else? Is anyone foolish enough not to understand that Lagos, in the wrong hand, would see the same little or nil IGR increase bedevilling a lot of Nigerian States unfortunate enough to be run by clueless administrators? What, for example, is the IGR increase of Bayelsa over the past decade under the stewardship of Alams, Jonathan and now Dickson? Some Nairalanders should attempt to use their intellect sometimes and give credit where due rather than just bark rabidly because they hate this ethnic group or that political Party.

http://tribune.com.ng/news/news-headlines/item/1281-ogun-most-industrially-developed-state-in-nigeria-jonathan/1281-ogun-most-industrially-developed-state-in-nigeria-jonathan

8 OCTOBER 2014
Nigeria: The Success Story of Lagos' IGR Over the Years - Fowler
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INTERVIEW

By Ade Ogidan
Babatunde Fowler is the Executive Chairman of Lagos State Board of Inland Revenue. He studied in the United States of America at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, where he obtained his first bachelors' degree with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a minor in Political Science in 1978. He completed a second bachelors' degree programme at California State University, Los Angeles and also a Master of Business Administration degree program at California State University, Dominguez Hills in 1981. He started out as a Marketing Intern with Avon Products Inc. New York working under the Vice President in charge of Africa. Having completed his formal education he was employed by Johnson and Johnson in New Jersey USA, under the MBA International Development Programme lasting one year, thereafter he was transferred to join Johnson and Johnson Nigeria between September 1982 and September 1983.He made a career change from International Finance and Marketing to Banking in January 1984. In the banking industry he had the opportunity to work and also head broad and varied areas of banking operations and business development in two major commercial banks over the next 20 years. Upon leaving the banking industry in 2004, Fowler joined the Lagos State Government and was appointed the pioneer Permanent Secretary/ Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue on the 24th of November 2005, thereby upgrading the office of the Executive Chairman to the highest level in the civil service.

In this interview with Business Editor, ADE OGIDAN, he explains the rising profile of Lagos IGR and the concomitant challenges of tax collection in a developing economy. Excerpts.

HOW would you briefly describe the operational profile of your agency?

The main objective of the board that I run is to generate revenue for the government. Very easily put, there is no country, no state that can carry out its expected responsibilities without funding. Every leader who has a vision, whether it's in the United States of America, in Europe, or in Africa requires funding to carry out that vision. And taxation has come to the point now that abroad, where taxation has been imbedded for quite a while, it is a major political issue, either when they're going to raise tax or reduce it. And even when we remember the debate in United States of America whenever some opponents want reduction in tax but want more services, the citizens of America would ask a simple question, how? So, it's come to that level whereby they understand that without taxation, government cannot deliver services. And I believe in Lagos State, it has also got to that point whereby the people who are paying taxes can see the difference. They understand and see the services being offered and putting everything in a true perspective.

To get the true perspective of income generation, Lagos State, for example, currently receives an average of N8 billion from the federation account on a monthly basis. Out of this, N6 billion goes for payment of salaries every month. So, if you deduct N6 billion from the N8 billion we get from the federation account, Lagos State would be left with only N2 billion, which cannot meet requirements of government. If you look at what happened recently, that is, the Ebola scare, that was totally unprepared for. If Lagos State did not have other sources of revenue, there would be no way we would have reacted as quickly as we did. You know, provide isolation centres, import equipment required to treat the patients.

Besides and most importantly, we need to generate extra revenues to fulfill the our mandate, in terms of total service delivery.

The IGR build-up in Lagos State has become a relative success story. Over the years, how did you strategise to achieve the current feat?

Well,[b] let me first of all give my appreciation to two governors. First of all, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu who had the vision. Who maybe, as an accountant and also as Governor, first of all realised that with the money from the federation account, there was no way there would be a provision for him to deliver on his mandate. The current Governor also followed his trend and supported the Board of Internal Revenue. Lagos is one of the few states that can be considered to be working. Even during the so-called global cash crunch, Lagos kept on working. And that's because of internally generated revenue. In 1999, the IGR averaged about N600 million per month. And if you look at the budget of the Lagos State government then, if I'm right, I believe it was about N17 billion per year. And as of last year, it has risen to N500 billion. And that's because the IGR increased to the point that Lagos State, apart from being able to deliver, or cover its current expenses, is also in a position to get loans form the World Bank and other agencies. And because they are sure we can pay back from our internally generated revenue, securing the facilities has never been an issue. So, maybe a road that would have taken the state 10 years to develop, Lagos state can take 200 roads in the same year and start renovating or constructing new roads at once. So, I can attribute the success that has greeted our IGR profile to visionary leadership the state has been enjoying since 1999.[/b]

As you rightly said, taxation has become a big issue globally and in Lagos State for example, it has being a big political issue. What were the initial challenges faced by your board, especially from the political front, in achieving the current IGR profile?

Well, initially, when we started, it wasn't a political issue at all. And we first of all spent the first year or two educating all the people on the laws relating to tax, the need to pay tax and we held meetings with various sector operators. We held meetings with professionals, artisans, with market women and religious leaders, among others, and they all agreed with us on our agenda, especially the fact that it's proper to pay tax. And as they started to pay the taxes, they could see the difference. So, it was not a political issue at all. It now got to a point, where for lack of a better word, Lagos State was leaving others behind. People came to Lagos and saw unimaginable changes and developments. And it was clear that it was because of the additional funds received through taxation. So, some politicians in other political parties, out of the need to explain their own failures, started a propaganda that Lagos was overtaxing its people. But this is far from the truth. Lagos is not overtaxing the people in anyway. Rather, Lagos has been doing the right thing. We are following the law and fixing taxes accordingly. We were able to overcome this challenge from these political antagonists as the people themselves could see the positive impact of taxation and compliance. I believe the people of Lagos know and would not accept the argument from these propagandists because it doesn't make any political or economic sense.

You said initially you held meetings with stakeholders and you mentioned religious leaders?

Exactly

Well, there is the raging controversy over the appropriateness and otherwise of taxing religious activities. What's your take on this?

The constitution does not provide for religious organisations to pay taxes for purely religious activities. But what has happened now is that most of these religious organisations have ventured into profit making businesses. A lot of them own secondary schools, some of them own universities, some of them own printing presses, bookshops, and they operate these ventures as commercial concerns to make profits. So, on those businesses, they are subject to tax. And they've all agreed to pay tax. So, we've got within Lagos, religious organisations that engage in commercial activities, paying their taxes. And then, we have no problem with them whatsoever.

They've been responding positively?

Yes, they've been responding positively.

There may be no problem in getting the formal sector employees to pay tax based on the pay as you earn system. But how have you been making inroads into the informal sector?

Well, the informal sector in our books, is divided into two. We've got the informal sector as we generally term it when it relates to market women, transporters, drivers, mechanics, artisans and others. And then, we have got the professional informal sector, that is, those skilled upper-end professionals that work for themselves like the doctors, dentists, accountants, the real estate agents, among others. Now, when it comes to the earlier group, we have no problem. The market women pay their taxes. They welcome our staff into the markets. They have 24 mini stations in all the major markets in Lagos State. The mechanics welcome our officials. Now, where we do actually have a problem are the latter group of professionals in the informal sector, who are not under PAYE. A lot of them either undeclare their incomes or don't pay any taxes at all.

Talking about welfare there have been issues involving disaffection among your staff over poor welfare, highhandedness and all of that. What's your take on these issues?

No, I'm not aware of ... that you have highlighted. But, I can tell you a few things we do or have done for our staff. Coming from the private sector, we believe that agencies or organisation within the private sector actually care for their staff better than the public sector. Now, in some degree, it may be right but I can tell you that staff of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service are well-looked after. Let me first of all start from the area of intellectual operations. For all our staff, we require that they are members of an association, which is the Charted Institute of Taxation. We have provided for them in the past, free lessons. We also pay for their exams. We also pay for their inductions. And they are entitled to 'uncapped' medical allowances if need be. Now, as public servants, we're also entitled to receive healthcare from the government hospitals. However, if it arises that the situation is beyond that care, we also cover other expenses. We basically meet or do more than if they were working in a 'bank'. I used to work in the banking sector and I know the benefits that used to accrue to staff in the banking sector... ... are quite generous. And I can tell you that our staff benefit more than that. Now, in terms of high-handedness, I'm not too sure how that would have come about. But we do have meetings with all our staff from time to time and that issue has never come up. But if you know of any specific situation, then, you can let me know and we would look into it.

You organisation has been working assiduously to generate so much revenue for the state. And there is this impression that politicians are frittering away the much that is being realised mainly on mundane political issues. We now have the electioneering campaigns coming up and much is expected to be expended. So, people say from historical ascendants, there could be deceleration of development in the state. Do you think there should be a formula for political campaign expenditure in the country that would not injure state revenue?

Well, let me first of all answer that question in two ways. First of all, let me give a profile on how money is expended on governance. Every year, the Governor would present a budget to the House of Assembly and within that budget, they will state where and how the money is to be spent. So, whether we have an election year or not, the Governor cannot approve expenditure that has not been approved by the House of Assembly and under no circumstances will money be spent on pecuniary political activities. Now, people who desire to win a political office have the right to raise funds, to spend their funds the way they deem fit. But I think it's got to a point now that the Nigerian people can tell the difference, whether this man or woman is trying to buy my vote because he or she wants power or whether this man, this party, has a vision that would improve the level of standard of living or bring development to their state or to their country. So, I think we've gone past that era - there might be people who would continue to expect bags of rice, bags of garri, some money in an envelope, to vote for this party or the other. But I think that a large percentage of people now realise that after the election, what next?

Should there be a formula for electioneering campaign funding?

Well, to my mind, if there is a formula, the question would be, even if they say you're allowed to spend, let's say N20 million to become a senator, not everybody will even have up to N20 million. So, you have people who may not have to, you have people who would have more. So, if you cap it, under which medium? If you spend N20 million on posters, it's different from spending N20 million on TV or N20 million in newspapers. They would go different instances and they are targeting different individuals. I believe that the citizens, the voters, ought to tell the difference between someone who is overspending and we ought to ask why this person is so desperate for power. Let me put it this way, if someone wants to become a governor, who wants to serve or wants to become senator and wants to serve and can be seen to be spending N50 million to get elected, you ask yourself, how much do we pay a senator? If his desire is to serve, he should come out with issues and policies and programmes that he is going to implement, not on the strength of money he or she can spend, because, if your salary, when you get into office is N10 million for one year and you're spending N50 million to get that position, people ought to ask why. And people should also look at the track record of people who have come out. And there is one aspect that I continually talk about and that is the so-called professionals. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, they should come into politics. You don't have to come into politics to occupy a particular position, you can just come into politics, give your opinion, give your voice and just advice how you think the party can improve to serve the people better.

Now, back to taxation, I think over-taxation is a concern to the people just as multiplicity of tax is. In fact, the latter is becoming a major issue, especially in Lagos State. There are complaints, especially from the informal sector about this. We have various taxes and levies, especially from the third tier of government. And there was a time when Lagos State tried to do a harmonisation. To which extent is this harmonisation initiative being effected?

Let me first answer the first question. There is nothing like over-taxation. The tax laws that we operate in Nigeria are federal laws, meaning that the taxes collected in Lagos State are the same that are collected in other states. So, the type of tax, the percentage or the rate of tax is the same nationwide. And then tax is based on profit and income. So, if you don't have any income, you don't pay any tax. If your organisation does not make any profit, your organisation doesn't pay any tax. So, it is a percentage of that income or profit that is taxable. Now, the question is why pay tax? The government is expected to provide a conducive environment for living and businesses, like security, healthcare, education, good roads, among others. If you have shops and there is no road that can take the people who want to patronise you to that shop, you won't sell anything. So, government has made roads that will encourage your business, government has put in adequate security, police, to make sure that you can buy and sell without being harassed. And when you now make an income or you earn a salary, it's that percentage of that that you pay as tax. So, there is nothing like being overtaxed.

Now, on the issue of multiplicity of tax. In Lagos, there is no such thing. Like you said, in the third tier of government, there was a law passed by the House of Assembly which has highlighted all the taxes that local government can charge. And anytime an officer from the local government comes to ask for a payment, you should be able to ask them, let me see the scale, let me see the taxes that you are empowered to collect. All the local government chairmen have signed and have agreed to this. And this has become a law passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly. So, any payment that is asked for that you doubt, you can contact the office of the Special Adviser on Revenue and Taxation or contact my office, I would come and find out what the issues are free of charge.

What is your projection for revenue generation for Lagos State, especially in the next four or five years?

Okay, my projection come in twofold. First of all, I will call my projection in terms of policy. Right now, in what we call the organised private sector - those are the oil companies, the banks, those who are under PAYE, we have close to 90 per cent tax compliance. In the unorganised informal sector, especially among professionals, it is very low. So, my projection in the next four or five years, first of all, if I put figures to it, is that we would have a 99.9 percent tax compliance across all sectors - organised private sector, informal professionals, informal skilled, government, including federal government agencies that pay taxes that everyone signs up and we have 99.9 percent. Now, in terms of figures, what that would be, I was reading the papers yesterday and an international agency said that they expect our internally generated revenue to hit close to N400 billion by the year 2016. Currently, as of last year, we have about N240 billion. I believe that if we have an increase of 20 percent per year, that would translate to anywhere between N350 to N375 billion by the year 2016. And I believe that as businesses continue to grow within Lagos State, that means more people would be employed, more people would pay taxes. And I believe yes, we do financial projections but based on the level of our activities within Lagos State, we should be in that region of N375 billion in the next four to five years or in excess of N400 billion

Ogun’s IGR grows from N750m to N3b in two years

By Segun Adebowale / June 7, 2013 / 0 Comments

The commissioner said the government’s effort had continued to increase the number of people paying taxes in the state

https://theeagleonline.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Governor-Ibikunle-Amosun.jpeg
Governor Ibikunle Amosun

The Ogun State Government said in Abeokuta on Friday that the state’s monthly internally generated revenue had increased from N750 million in 2011 to N3 billion in 2013.
The Commissioner for Finance, Kemi Adeosun, said at a media briefing that the increase was as a result of the “ongoing financial engineering” in the state.
Adeosun said the financial engineering began in 2011 when the Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led administration assumed office.
The commissioner said the government’s effort had continued to increase the number of people paying taxes in the state.
“Enforcement of the residency rule has been strengthened with a number of court judgments being obtained against employers in neighbouring states, who failed to remit taxes due to Ogun,” she said.
Adeosun added that the ongoing infrastructure renewal, particularly in the areas of roads and schools, had continued to generate voluntary compliance with taxation laws by the residents.
“People are now able to see what the government is spending funds on and are therefore encouraged to pay taxes without necessarily being coerced,” she said.
The commissioner, however, said the state government had put measures in place to ensure that the IGR reached a monthly average of N5 billion before the end of the year.
She said government intended to attain the target by strengthening its cashless revenue collection policy, introduced in 2011.
She said: “This initiative has resulted in an increase in collection figures in tertiary institutions to the tune of N2.7 billion between January and March 2013 as against N908 million within the same period in 2012.
“Based on this success story, the policy will be replicated in the state hospitals, judiciary and other ministries, departments and agencies of government.”
Adeosun added that the revenue monitoring team would also be strengthened to assist key revenue-generating MDAs in co-ordinating their activities.
“This team will provide logistic, organisational and technological assistance in attaining revenue targets,” she said.
The commissioner explained that the Amosun-led administration had reduced the N87 billion debt inherited in 2011 to N61.6 billion in December 2012.
She, however, said government had already developed a medium term financial model which would ensure that the state’s debt grew only in proportion to the IGR growth.

Segeggs:
@bolded. OUK said it and it angered FFK, fashola and yorubas. The dude had to recant when he realized his properties in lagos where getting seized by the government. It's only on nairaland I hear lagos is a no man's land and it only comes from Ibos. You can never hear the hausas, edos, calabars, efiks, taapaas, fulanis, ijaws etc calling or participating in the foolery of lagos a no man's land, only deluded Ibos

Segeggs:
@bolded. OUK said it and it angered FFK, fashola and yorubas. The dude had to recant when he realized his properties in lagos where getting seized by the government. It's only on nairaland I hear lagos is a no man's land and it only comes from Ibos. You can never hear the hausas, edos, calabars, efiks, taapaas, fulanis, ijaws etc calling or participating in the foolery of lagos a no man's land, only deluded Ibos

IGBOSON1:
^^^You should try and learn to ignore certain things! If you believe the facts on the ground don't support their assertion, then why join issues with anyone that says Lagos is 'no mans land'!? You're only showing them it winds you up, and they'll continue saying it to wind you up the more!

BuddahMonk:
Gbawe or Gbawa abi Gbawo pls take these your nonsense epistles and beatitudes outta off here before this thread get to the 3rd page, i dnt comment on lenghty threads.

The part of Ogun that is developed are those that are close to Lagos State, nothing is happening in interior Ogun State, Abeokuta have no pure water factory, the only cement house in Ijebu Ode is that of Subumi Balogun, the rest are of mud and decayed zinc.

Oyo State is the home to highest number of almajiri in Sub-Sahara African, Ibadam have displaced Kano in the number one almajiri ranking in Nigeria.
Osogbo is a grolified village with only 7commercial banks rendering skeletal services, Ekiti is a state with one township and 2 villages.

Lagos is accounting to the 20% revenue of the entire SW while all the O things muster only 9%.
Its because of the imbalances that the lagos delegates to Confab rejected Regionalism, they said all other Yoruba states are barren and impotent that Lagos will be overwhelmed providing the revenue that will make the rest O state start crawling again.

IGBOSON1:
^^^You should try and learn to ignore certain things! If you believe the facts on the ground don't support their assertion, then why join issues with anyone that says Lagos is 'no mans land'!? You're only showing them it winds you up, and they'll continue saying it to wind you up the more!

RareDiamonds:
Poverty is Heavy on Yor0ba land despite IGR

Pictures of Y0roba land, South West Nigeria

WIZGUY69:
.
Guy. I swear you no get sense.

VirginFinder:
You are a dullard!
That's why you choose to argue based on emotions and sentiments rather than facts.
You are nobody in Nigeria if you are not known in the South West. Live it with!

There are more Igbos anywhere in the SW than there are Yorubas in the SE.

I'm sure you speak Yoruba

RareDiamonds:
Poverty is Heavy on Yor0ba land despite IGR

Pictures of Y0roba land, South West Nigeria

Ikenganri:
In which states and region do people use 50 naira to buy bread,beans and pure water?