Benue State Targets N3 Billion Monthly IGR by 2025 to Fund Minimum Wage and Pensions

Benue State Government announced plans to boost its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to N3 billion per month by the end of 2025, aiming to finance the new N75,000 minimum wage and clear outstanding pension payments, as stated by Commissioner for Finance Michael Oglegba in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi, reported by Daily Post, Naija247news, and Nairametrics. Under Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration, the state’s IGR has risen from N600–700 million to approximately N2.2 billion monthly since May 2023, a milestone attributed to strategic reforms, per Daily Trust and Naija247news.

Oglegba emphasized the goal of ensuring timely salary and pension payments without reliance on federal allocations, stating, “We have a very ambitious plan to raise revenue to over N3 billion each month. Achieving this will allow us to pay salaries and pensions comfortably from our IGR, but it will require significant effort on our part,” per Daily Post. He highlighted a historic achievement in 2024 when IGR fully covered core civil servants’ salaries, with plans to extend this to pensioners and the new minimum wage in 2025, per Naija247news.

The revenue surge, from N16 billion annually in December 2024 to a projected N36 billion by 2025, stems from plugging leakages rather than new taxes, per Daily Trust. Acting Chairman of the Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Sunday Odagba, noted intensified enforcement against illegal fee collection, collaborating with security agencies to dismantle unauthorized revenue points, per Daily Trust. Oglegba added that legal measures will target tax evaders to sustain growth without burdening citizens, especially amid economic hardship post-fuel subsidy removal, per Naija247news.

The 2025 budget of N550.112 billion, a 47.5% increase over 2024, allocates N80.013 billion for personnel costs, including the minimum wage, and prioritizes agriculture (N84.08 billion) and infrastructure (N110 billion), per Blueprint and Voice of Nigeria. However, concerns linger, with the Centre for Judicial Integrity criticizing the government for neglecting judiciary staff striking since December 2024 over unpaid minimum wages, per Sahara Reporters. X posts from @Nairametrics and @NigNewsDirect on April 27 echoed the N3 billion target, reflecting optimism but also public scrutiny, per Nairametrics.

Despite progress, challenges include past low IGR due to insecurity and poor compliance, as noted in 2021 by officials citing herder attacks deterring investors, per The Sun Nigeria. The administration’s focus on digital tax collection and the ALIA-CARES initiative aims to address these, but sustaining N3 billion monthly hinges on enforcement and economic stability, per Voice of Nigeria. If achieved, this target could transform Benue’s fiscal landscape, ensuring financial independence and improved services, per Naija247news.