Delta State has more than doubled its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), recording an increase from about ₦84 billion in 2023 to over ₦200 billion, as the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori's administration for aggressively diversifying the state's economy beyond oil.
The achievement was highlighted on Monday in Asaba when an RMAFC delegation visited the state to evaluate its economic diversification and revenue generation strategies.
Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sunny Ekedayen, said the Oborevwori administration had deliberately repositioned Delta's economy by investing in agriculture, industrialisation, innovation and other non-oil sectors. He disclosed that the state's revenue surged by more than 138 per cent without increasing personal income tax rates, attributing the remarkable growth to an expanded tax net, improved revenue administration, enhanced compliance and more efficient collection systems.
According to him, agriculture has emerged as a major pillar of the state's diversification agenda through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), with government providing land while private investors supply capital, technology and expertise for large-scale cultivation of crops such as cassava and oil palm.
Commissioner for Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije, said the state was also accelerating industrial growth through strategic infrastructure investments, revealing that the Kwale Industrial Park would soon be fully energised to attract local and foreign investors. He added that the government was equally working with the Federal Government to revive commercial activities at the Warri and Forcados ports to unlock greater economic opportunities.
Leader of the RMAFC delegation, Mr. Victor Eboigbe, described continued dependence on oil revenue as unsustainable and lauded Delta State's proactive efforts to build a more resilient economy. He noted that the assessment was in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, which encourages states to strengthen internally generated revenue through economic diversification.
Also speaking, the Federal Commissioner representing Delta State in RMAFC, Hon. Aruviere Martins Egwarhevwa, said the visit formed part of the Commission's constitutional responsibility to assess states' diversification initiatives and deepen collaboration on fiscal development.
The delegation expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded by the Oborevwori administration and encouraged the state government to sustain the momentum in expanding its non-oil economy and strengthening revenue generation.
