Sunny Ekedayen, Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning, on Monday disclosed that the state increased its internally generated revenue (IGR) from about N84 billion in 2024 to over N200 billion, representing a growth of more than 138 per cent.
He said that the impressive revenue growth was achieved without increasing personal income tax, even as he attributed it to an expanded tax net, improved administration, stronger compliance and efficient revenue collection.
Ekedayen made the disclosure
in Asaba during a visit by a delegation from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to assess Delta’s economic diversification and revenue generation initiatives.
He said that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration had intensified efforts to diversify the state’s economy beyond oil, as the state was deliberately repositioning its economy through investments in agriculture, industrialisation, innovation and other non-oil sectors.
Ekedayen said agriculture had become a major driver of the diversification agenda through Public-Private Partnerships, with government providing land while investors supplied capital and technology for large-scale cultivation of crops such as cassava and oil palm.
Contributing, Fidelis Tilije, Commissioner for Finance, said the government was also boosting industrialisation through strategic infrastructure investments, adding that the Kwale Industrial Park would soon be fully energised to attract investors.
According to him, efforts are ongoing to revive maritime activities through improved collaboration with the Federal Government on the Warri and Forcados ports.
Victor Egboigbe, leader of the RMAFC delegation, said dependence on oil revenue was unsustainable and commended Delta’s commitment to economic diversification.
He said the assessment aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and praised Governor Oborevwori for policies aimed at building a resilient and sustainable economy.
Aruviere Egwarhevwa, the Federal Commissioner representing Delta State in RMAFC, said the visit was part of the Commission’s constitutional mandate to evaluate states’ diversification efforts and strengthen collaboration on fiscal development.
The delegation expressed satisfaction with Delta’s economic transformation initiatives and urged the state to sustain the momentum.