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Kano Deploys Digital Tax Reforms to Improve Revenue Mobilisation
Zulaiha Danjuma
Effective tax collection is the lifeblood of any government seeking robust revenue growth. For Kano State, digital innovation has been integrated into its tax landscape through the development of digital public infrastructure (DPI). This DPI aims to improve tax revenue collection, compliance, and citizen engagement through digital solutions for all
KANO FOCUS reports, like many other Nigerian states, Kano has had its fair share of tax collection troubles. A notable reference point is the manual collection of taxes by tax office collectors from those under the informal sector category.
In 2021 to 2023, about 7.8 billion Naira was realized from 60,000 tricyclists paying a daily manual levy of 100 Naira to the then Kano State Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA) Management tax collectors. However, responsible government agencies could not account for these funds.
For Abba sani, a young cosmetics vendor, the manual tax collection system was a constant source of frustration. “I’m young, but I’ve never used any e-platform to pay taxes because I don’t know about it,” he admits, highlighting the difficulties faced by many informal taxpayers.
Hamisu Abba, a chicken seller in Kasuwar Sheka, shares Abba sani’s skepticism. “Even banks make errors with transfers, making you wait days to revert a payment. Why should I take the same risk with a tax payment that belongs to the government?” he asks, his brow furrowed with concern.
The incorporation of technology into the tax collection system, particularly for informal sectors, was taken up when the Kano State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS) started collecting daily levies from tricyclists using the Point of Sale (POS) machine in mid 2021. Despite the fact that this initiative did not last long for daily tax collection for tricyclists. This marked the beginning of Kano State’s digital tax revolution.
The Kano State Internal Revenue Service has developed two digital platforms, KIRMAS (Kano Integrated Revenue Management and Assurance System) and eeZitax, to facilitate tax payments. The KIRMAS was launched in the second quarter of 2024, while the eeZitax was launched and introduced on 2rd January of this year 2025.
These platforms enable taxpayers to register, generate invoices, and make payments online or through authorized agents.
KIRMAS has been said to be a more comprehensive system that covers various aspects of tax administration, including taxpayer registration, tax assessment, billing, payment, and reporting.
The KIRMAS which is a platform that supports the Central Billing System (CBS) has been able to standardize the billing process across all Ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) with the implementation of the Signal Central Revenue Account (SCRA) in Kano state. However, the platform has been flagged off by the KIRS to have some limitations
“The KIRMAS has a redundant database, this is a problematic issue that makes planning unachievable. The system is no longer for the current tax collection process” Isa Yakubu Yargaya, of the Revenue Accounting Department, said.
Mr. Yakubu explained that the Kano state Internal Revenue Service introduced eeZitax to address KIRMAS limitations.
“That was why eeZitax was introduced, it’s simpler to administer, users can understand it easily and data of taxpayers is secure and reliable” he added
According to Yakubu eeZitax have had commendable compliance level and reception from various corporate and other stakeholders
“The eeZitax platform has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, not only from taxpayers but also from banks and other stakeholders, thanks to the tireless efforts of the KIRS team” he stated
“We got so many compliance, roughly we can say the compliance level for the eeZitax is at 50%, there are huge numbers of tax payer registered on the platform, though I don’t have the explicit figure on hand right now, it’s huge” he said
The eeZitax, tax collection platform has been in active use now for two weeks and few days.
Despite the integration of technology in Kano’s tax payment system, including online payments, bank transfers, and invoice generation, the informal tax base has yet to benefit significantly from these digital advancements. Sadiq Muhammad Mustapha, Programme lead at the Tax Justice and Governance Platform (TJ & GP), identified low literacy levels among those in the informal sector as a major challenge.
Auwal Salisu, a textile seller in Kantin Kwari, echoes this concern. “Multiple tax collections, reliance on cumbersome hand-to-hand payments, and vulnerability to scams by impersonators posing as official tax collectors – these are the challenges we face daily.” Bello Muhammad, who sells at the Friday market in Wudil, adds, “We’re willing to pay taxes, but we need a system that’s transparent, efficient, and easy to use, most of use are not literate to use advanced systems like E-tax payment platform” he said
According to Mr. Sadiq, Oya state despite also having a large informal tax base as kano, have been able to capture peculiar concerns with that session of taxpayers by coming up with a USSD code (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) for tax payments
“Kano State can adopt this process to make it easier for informal taxpayers to deal with the issues of literacy levels and skepticism of digital tax payment platforms” he said.
However, Mr. Yakubu said the KIRS had used the USSD as a tax payment alternative for a time period spanning from 2023 to 2024.
“We used this USSD, the service is trying out a number of alternative methods of tax collection to see what suits best”
“When we rolled out the use of USSD codes we had a compliance level of 20% from the informal sector at the time” he said
To address these challenges, the Kano State Internal Revenue Service is conducting awareness campaigns and sensitization initiatives to educate taxpayers about the benefits and usage of these digital platforms. Mr. Yakubu emphasized the importance of these initiatives in promoting transparency and accountability in tax collection.
“The Kano State Internal Revenue Service is making all these reforms to make the payment process between taxpayers and the Kano state Government easy”
“This digitalization is to foster accountability and adequate revenue generation to help the government provide better public amenities to Kano state” he said.
According to Mr. Yakubu the service is also engaging and working adequately with Non-governmental Organizations to push sensitization and awareness about the benefits of digital tax payments and platforms. “We have massive sensitization outreach next week in some rural communities on this issue,” he said.
As Kano State continues to navigate the digital tax landscape, it’s essential to address the concerns of informal taxpayers. By simplifying the tax payment process, providing reliable e-tax payment options, and harmonizing taxes, the state can unlock robust revenue growth and improved citizen engagement.
The journey ahead will be long and challenging, but the potential rewards are significant. By leveraging digital public infrastructure, Kano State can create a more efficient, transparent, and inclusive tax system, ultimately improving the lives of its citizens.
This story is produced under the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Fellowship of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and Co-Develop in partnership with Kano Focus Newspaper online.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Imam Nura Garba Mato has urged Muslims to remain conscious of their actions, saying that divine reward and punishment often correspond to the nature of people’s deeds.
KANO FOCUS reports that the imam made the call while delivering a Friday sermon at Jami’u Ansar wal Muhajirun Jumaa Mosque, Cotton Ginnery Layout, Zawaciki, Kano State.
The sermon, titled “Al-Jazā’u Min Jinsil-‘Amal” (Recompense Is According to the Nature of Deeds), focused on the Islamic teaching that people’s actions have consequences and that good deeds attract divine reward.
Imam Mato said Allah had established enduring principles in human life that do not change, urging Muslims to understand these principles and allow them to guide their conduct.
He explained that one of these principles was that recompense corresponds to the nature of one’s actions, stressing the importance of living righteously and fulfilling one’s responsibilities to Allah and fellow human beings.
The imam called on Muslims to observe *taqwa* (consciousness of Allah), remain steadfast in their faith and follow the teachings and traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
He also highlighted the importance of helping people in difficulty, easing the burdens of others and showing compassion to fellow Muslims.
Quoting a prophetic tradition, the imam emphasised that whoever relieves a Muslim of a hardship in this world will receive relief from Allah on the Day of Resurrection.
He further explained that whoever conceals the faults of a fellow Muslim would receive Allah’s concealment of their faults on the Day of Resurrection, while those who make things easier for people in difficulty would receive Allah’s assistance in this world and the Hereafter.
The sermon also underscored the importance of supporting others, noting that a Muslim’s relationship with Allah should be reflected in their treatment of fellow human beings.
Imam Mato urged Muslims to reflect on their deeds and recognise that their conduct carries consequences, encouraging them to embrace good actions, assist those in need and uphold the teachings of Islam in their daily lives.
He stressed that Muslims should make righteousness, compassion and service to others central to their lives in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure and success in the Hereafter.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government has directed all civil servants who have attained their statutory retirement age or completed the required length of service to immediately vacate their offices and hand over government property in their possession.
KANO FOCUS reports that the directive was contained in Circular issued on Tuesday by the Establishment Directorate, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Kano State.
The circular, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Establishment, Abba A. Danguguwa, on behalf of the Head of Civil Service, was titled: “Unauthorized Continuance in Service After Statutory Retirement by Civil Servants in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government – Call for Immediate Handing Over of Official Documents, Properties.”
The government said it had observed that some civil servants continued to remain in office and operate in official capacities after reaching their statutory retirement period.
According to the circular, such conduct was a “negation to the reputation of the Civil Service of Kano State,” noting that the service had a long-standing tradition of ensuring seamless transition by retiring civil servants.
It described the continued stay in service after retirement as a direct infraction and aberration of relevant provisions of the State Civil Service Rules and other applicable service regulations.
The government stressed that it was legally and administratively untenable for any officer to remain in service or perform official functions beyond the statutory limit.
Consequently, all civil servants who had retired either by age or length of service were directed to immediately exit and hand over all official documents, government property and duties to their immediate subordinates in their respective ministries, departments and agencies.
The circular also directed all Accounting Officers, including Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executives, as well as Directors of Administration and Personnel Management, to ensure strict and immediate compliance with the directive.
It warned that any officer found aiding, abetting or condoning the continued stay of a retired officer in service would face appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with the Civil Service Rules.
The directive takes immediate effect, the circular stated.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf says his administration has settled approximately N32 billion out of the N48 billion inherited backlog of gratuities and related liabilities owed to retirees in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that Gov Yusuf disclosed this on Thursday while addressing residents at the 66th Independence Anniversary celebration held at the Sani Abacha Indoor Stadium in Kano.
The governor said the government had also sustained the regular payment of monthly pensions while increasing the minimum monthly pension from N5,000 to N20,000.
He said the welfare of workers and pensioners remained a priority of his administration, citing timely payment of salaries, improved remuneration and measures aimed at strengthening the public service.
According to him, the state has maintained the practice of paying workers’ salaries on or before the 25th of every month while implementing the N71,000 minimum wage for civil servants.
Gov Yusuf also said his administration was sponsoring public servants for professional training, including programmes at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), to strengthen their administrative and leadership capacity.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a professional and motivated workforce, while ensuring that the contributions and sacrifices of serving workers and retirees were recognised and treated with dignity.
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