The Delta State Government has announced a remarkable increase in its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), rising from about ₦84 billion in 2023 to over ₦200 billion in 2026, representing a growth of more than 138 per cent as part of efforts to diversify the state’s economy away from dependence on oil revenues.

The disclosure was made yesterday in Asaba during a visit by a delegation from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which was in the state to assess Delta’s economic diversification initiatives and revenue generation strategies.

The State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sunny Ekedayen, said the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had deliberately repositioned the state’s economy by investing heavily in agriculture, industrialisation, innovation and other non-oil sectors to ensure sustainable economic growth.

According to him, the significant increase in revenue was achieved without imposing additional personal income tax burdens on residents.

He attributed the feat to an expanded tax net, improved revenue administration, enhanced compliance mechanisms and more efficient collection processes.

Ekedayen noted that agriculture has emerged as a major pillar of the state’s diversification agenda, driven largely through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). Under the arrangement, the government provides land while private investors contribute capital, technology and technical expertise for large-scale cultivation of crops such as cassava and oil palm.

He explained that the strategy was aimed at boosting food production, creating jobs and generating alternative sources of revenue for the state.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije, highlighted the government’s commitment to industrialisation through strategic infrastructure development.

He disclosed that the Kwale Industrial Park would soon be fully energised to attract both local and foreign investors; even as he revealed that the state government was working closely with the Federal Government to revive maritime activities through improved operations at the Warri and Forcados ports.

The move, he said, is expected to stimulate trade, commerce and industrial growth in the state and the wider Niger Delta region.

Leader of the RMAFC delegation, Mr. Victor Eboigbe, described the continued reliance on oil revenue by sub-national governments as unsustainable, stressing the urgent need for states to explore alternative revenue sources.

Similarly, the Federal Commissioner representing Delta State in RMAFC, Hon. Aruviere Martins Egwarhevwa, said the visit formed part of the Commission’s constitutional responsibility to evaluate states’ diversification efforts and foster stronger collaboration on fiscal and economic development.

The RMAFC delegation expressed satisfaction with the economic transformation initiatives being undertaken by the Delta State Government and urged the administration to sustain the tempo in order to consolidate the gains already recorded.