Benue Commissioner Advocates for Local Government Revenue Growth

Michael Olegba, the Benue State Commissioner for Finance, asserted that local governments can survive without entirely relying on federal allocations. In an interview in Makurdi on Thursday, he emphasized the constitutional provisions that allow local governments to generate internal revenue.

Olegba noted that many councils fail to explore available revenue sources, such as tenement rates and grants from rents. He criticized the lack of interest in collecting these funds and attributed the poor revenue collection to inadequate management and governance structures.

Olegba advised local government officials to enhance their governance systems to maximize revenue potential, especially given the mineral resources in their areas. He mentioned that the Benue State Internal Revenue Commission has significantly improved revenue generation, growing from approximately N700 million to N800 million monthly, and exceeding N3 billion per month recently.

He highlighted that financial autonomy for local governments remains a significant national discourse, advocating for greater fiscal independence for councils across the country.