Nigerian states' tax take rises 27% as most workers pay less
23 states collected ₦2.2 trillion in six months, and 21 states have cut more than 100 levies down to nine.
Abuja — Tax revenue collected by 23 Nigerian states rose 27% in the first half of 2026, to about ₦2.2 trillion from ₦1.75 trillion a year earlier, the Joint Revenue Board said.
Its executive chairman, Olusegun Adesokan, said the rise came even though about 92% of income earners in those states now pay less personal income tax, or none, under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025. The law, in force since 1 January, exempts the first ₦800,000 of annual taxable income.
"The vision is to tax prosperity, not poverty," he said.
Fewer levies
- 21 states have adopted a model law that folds more than 100 taxes, levies and charges into nine categories, to end multiple taxation by different authorities.
- Adesokan said the reform adds no new taxes; it simplifies existing ones.
- The other 15 states have yet to adopt it, which needs their legislatures' approval.
The figures cover only the 23 states that filed returns, not all 36 states and the FCT.
Source: Premium Times, 29 October 2026.
