Plateau State Trains LGA Revenue Officers to Boost Transparency and Curb Leakages

The Plateau State Government, through the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission, has organized a three-day capacity-building workshop for Revenue Officers from the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. The training, held in collaboration with consultancy firm Sky Net 247, began on Monday, June 24, 2025, at Bishops Court, Jos.

Three revenue officers from each LGA were selected to participate in the workshop, which is themed: “Leakages and Remedies in Revenue Generation and Understanding Statutory Duties and Legal Powers of Government Agencies (Revenue Officers) in Generating Revenue for the LGCs in Plateau.”

The workshop aims to expose participants to modern revenue collection and management techniques that promote transparency, accountability, and public trust, while significantly improving the internally generated revenue (IGR) of local councils.

Declaring the workshop open, the Chairman of the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission, Chief Simon Tangni, emphasized the importance of revenue generation in sustaining public services. He was represented by Commissioner I of the Commission, Hon. David Racha, who was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Kelvin Bamshak, and other staff of the Commission.

“None of us here can survive without revenue. Every socio-political unit requires revenue to function,” Hon. Racha stated. He highlighted the Plateau State Government’s commitment to strengthening revenue structures, noting that the positive results at the state level now necessitate extending such reforms to the local government level.

He also underscored the significance of IGR in national revenue allocation, stating, “IGR is one of the criteria for how much a local government gets from the Federation Allocation.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Lead Consultant from Sky Net 247, Mr. Vincent Copdi, stressed the importance of blocking revenue leakages. He noted that developed nations have achieved growth by curbing financial inefficiencies, a direction Plateau State is now pursuing. “This workshop was organized to address and remedy the issue of leakages,” he said.

The training is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, June 26, 2025. By then, participants are expected to be fully equipped with modern skills and insights to take local revenue collection and management to the next level.