The Abia State Government has announced plans to launch a comprehensive enumeration of all residential and commercial properties across the state as part of efforts to boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from N40 billion to N120 billion by the end of 2025.
The initiative represents a significant step in the government’s broader economic strategy aimed at achieving fiscal sustainability and improving public sector performance.
The announcement was disclosed by the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, who stated that the initiative aims to expand the state’s tax base by bringing more residents and businesses into the formal tax system, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Speaking to journalists in Umuahia on Tuesday, Kanu described the enumeration exercise as a central component of Governor Alex Otti’s fiscal reform agenda, designed to enhance revenue collection, promote fairness in taxation, and improve access to public services.
“In the coming weeks, the state will begin a comprehensive enumeration of houses and businesses, and these will be integrated with the Abia State Social Identification Number (ABSSIN).
“Government will ensure equity in taxation and more importantly, it will serve as a gateway for Abia people to access vital social services,” Kanu said.
He further noted that, beyond enhancing tax compliance, the project would also strengthen state security initiatives and provide accurate data for planning economic policies and delivering essential social infrastructure. The availability of detailed property data is expected to improve budgeting, service delivery, and the overall transparency of the state’s fiscal management.
More insights
Providing further insight into the initiative, the Commissioner for Finance, Uwaoma Ukandu, emphasized that the project would not impose any financial burden on the state government.
- He explained that the exercise would be executed in partnership with technical firms already benefiting from doing business in Abia.
- According to Ukandu, the enumeration will begin in urban centers before extending to rural communities.
“The Commissioner for Finance, Mr Uwaoma Ukandu, said the project would be at no cost to the Abia government because its technical partners were already benefiting from doing business with Abia,” the NAN report read in part.
He noted that the aim is not just to document properties and businesses but also to identify individuals currently outside the tax net and integrate them into the system.
The government urged residents and business owners to cooperate fully with enumerators and support the initiative by fulfilling their civic obligation to pay taxes.
