Kaduna Govt Contests El-Rufai’s Revenue Shortfall, Fund Diversion Claims

Kaduna Govt Contests El-Rufai’s Revenue Shortfall, Fund Diversion Claims

El-Rufai, over the state’s dwindling monthly revenue which he alleged to have reduced from ₦7billion to ₦2billion, as well as an alleged illegal transfer of ₦100million to an unknown individual from the state’s internally generated revenue account.

Instead, the Executive Chairman of the Service, Jerry Adams, at a news conference, said Kaduna State Internal Revenue had witnessed remarkable improvement and surpassed that of the El-Rufai’s administration. Adams noted that the body’s revenue rose from Adams ₦62billion in 2023 to ₦71 billion in 2024.

El-Rufai was alleged to have said that the revenue profile under the leadership of Governor Uba Sani has witnessed a shortfall compared with his administration.

However, Adams said, “It has become necessary to address certain claims made by the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai. While he may have acted based on limited or inaccurate information, or perhaps deliberately chosen to distort facts, it is imperative to clarify these issues for the discerning public.

“The former Governor alleged that the previous administration generated ₦7billion monthly in internally generated revenue (IGR) compared to the ₦2billion allegedly collected under the current administration.

“A closer look at the facts reveals otherwise. Between 2019 and 2023 the highest the service collected was ₦59billion which was in 2022 and that translates to a monthly average of ₦4.9billion, it is noteworthy to state that a significant portion of revenue reported by KADIRS then ie (2019-2022) came from back-duty recoveries and sales of government properties amounting to ₦22billion and ₦25 billion, respectively—totaling ₦45 billion and other sources such as exchange gains differentials.

“When these one-off inflows are discounted, the actual monthly revenue collection during that period paints a different picture.

He said, “Post-el-Rufai era figures speak for themselves. In 2023, Kaduna State recorded an IGR of ₦62.48 billion, and in 2024, the figure rose to ₦71 billion—an average monthly collection of ₦5.2billion and ₦6.0billion, respectively.

“Kaduna State led in IGR performance in northern Nigeria in 2023 as declared by the National Bureau of Statistics and one of the leading sub-national IRS nationwide as the 2024 figures are still being vetted and verified by the NBS

‘For January and February 2025 alone, Kaduna State has already collected ₦7.46 billion and N6.68 billion, respectively, totaling ₦14.16 billion in just two months—without any back-duty recoveries. This demonstrates the administration’s unwavering commitment to revenue mobilisation and sustainable governance.

“For revenue generation to be consistent and sustainable, it must go through a process of organic growth both vertically and horizontally. This ensures that the state does not rely on one-off recoveries but builds a reliable and long-term revenue base.

‘In light of this, the Kaduna State Government is taking deliberate steps to centralize all IGR-related data into a single database. This groundbreaking initiative—the first of its kind in Kaduna State and Nigeria—will enable data-driven decision-making, improve revenue forecasting, and enhance overall efficiency in tax administration.”