Events
PSIRS Launches Bold Tax Reforms at Landmark Summit
In a major push for financial independence, Plateau State Internal Revenue Service has launched sweeping reforms to overhaul its property and land tax system following a historic two-day Tax Summit held from August 21–22, 2025.
Themed “Unlocking Domestic Resources: Strengthening Property and Land-Related Taxes,” the summit brought together government leaders, legal experts, technocrats, and community representatives to tackle the state’s low revenue collection.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang, represented by Secretary to the State Government Arch. Samuel Jatau, stressed that land is a key asset for development. “We must stop relying on federal handouts and start building a fair, transparent tax system that funds better roads, schools, hospitals, and services,” he said.
The Revenue Crisis
Despite over 1 million buildings in the state (per NASA data), only 14,000 are currently taxed — just 1.4%. Nationally, property taxes contribute less than 5% of government revenue, far below global standards.
Dr. Jim Pam Wayas, Head of the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS), called the gap a “revenue emergency.”
“Revenue is the blood of government. Right now, Plateau is barely surviving. We can do much better,” he said.
A major hurdle? The clash between formal land laws and traditional ownership systems.
Hon. Philemon Audu Daffi, Attorney General, noted: “We have the laws — what’s missing is unity between statutory and customary systems.”
Tech to the Rescue
The Plateau Geographic Information Service (PLAGIS) unveiled digital mapping tools that can identify, value, and bill properties automatically. Soon, owners could get tax notices via SMS and pay online.
“Data is the new oil,” said Dr. Wayas. “Now we’re learning how to refine it.”
An Implementation Committee has been formed, led by the Attorney General. A 7-point plan was adopted:
1. Unify land tenure systems
2. Train local government staff
3. Use data for revenue forecasting
4. Link PSIRS with PLAGIS and other agencies
5. Educate the public on tax benefits
6. Fix property valuation methods
7. Update tax laws
“We’re making tax payment simple and fair,” said Lands Commissioner Hon. Peter Nyam Gei. “One notice, one payment — no harassment.”
MDAs Under the Microscope
Day two focused on agency revenue performance. While Plateau hit 102% of its 2023 budget and boosted IGR to 62% in 2024, early 2025 data shows trouble:
– Only 13.4% of MDAs met half their targets
– 63.4% performed below 25%
– 17.1% collected nothing
Top performers:
– Ministry of Information (1,243%)
– Ministry of Justice (729%)
– Jos Main Market Authority (429%)
Lagging sectors: Agriculture, Health, ICT, and Science & Technology.
The Way Forward
Recommendations include:
– Set realistic revenue targets
– Automate collections
– Diversify income (e.g., tourism, land taxes)
– Monitor performance quarterly
– Reward top-performing agencies
With federal funding shrinking, Plateau is betting on itself. By merging technology, legal reform, and accountability, the state aims to build a system where citizens pay willingly — because they see results.
“This isn’t just talk,” said one official. “The Plateau Project is about action.”
The message is clear: Fair taxes. Better services. Stronger state.
Lingzhi Global Nigeria Ltd. has announced plans to hold the second edition of the Coffee Festival International Nigeria in Calabar, Cross River State, from October 30 to November 1, 2026, as part of efforts to promote coffee production and expand opportunities across the value chain.
The festival, organised in collaboration with the National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria, NACOFTAN, will be held under the theme, “Coffee Sustainability and Empowerment: Focusing on Women and Youth Development,” with emphasis on skills development, community development and job creation.
The Chief Executive Officer of Lingzhi Global, Mrs. Blessing Nanman, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, saying the event would bring together coffee stakeholders, investors and international participants to explore opportunities in farming, processing, packaging, marketing and export.
“Farmers have gone to work. Some processors are already at the verge of breaking through. This is the time where we want to invite all investors, partners and international organisations to support us in the coffee industry,” Nanman said.
She said the maiden edition attracted participants from different countries, while the 2026 festival is expected to draw representatives from about 30 countries. According to her, the event would further define opportunities within the coffee value chain and encourage local consumption of coffee.
Nanman said Lingzhi Global was also expanding its coffee business through the establishment of coffee shops, noting that the outlets had become platforms where communities, families and people from different backgrounds could connect over coffee.
She said Cross River was selected to host the second edition because of its potential for coffee production and the state government’s efforts to expand cultivation through the distribution of millions of coffee seedlings.
Speaking on the forthcoming festival, Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Ebokpo, commended Lingzhi Global for its role in promoting coffee and tea development in the state and for working with stakeholders to strengthen the sector.
He said the company had contributed efforts to improve farmers’ access to seedlings, knowledge and markets, describing its partnership with the state as important to the development of the coffee value chain.
“We are pleased to be collaborating with Lingzhi Global, organisers of the International Coffee Festival, and NACOFTAN,” Ebokpo said.
The commissioner said the festival would give Cross River greater visibility as a coffee-producing destination while creating opportunities for women and young people to participate in the industry.
“This is also an opportunity for us to use the festival as a platform to create jobs for our people, particularly women and youths, while providing them with opportunities to learn more and develop their skills,” he said.
Ebokpo said the coffee industry extends beyond farming to processing, packaging and export, stressing that young people could create businesses and develop their own brands by participating in different stages of the value chain.
He said Cross River has about 23,000 square kilometres of arable land suitable for coffee development and has the agro-ecological advantage of producing both Arabica and Robusta varieties. He added that the state plans to distribute at least 30 million coffee seedlings over five years.
President of NACOFTAN, Dr. Hassan Usman, said the festival would provide an opportunity for Nigerian stakeholders to exchange knowledge and technology with international players in the coffee industry.
“The Coffee Festival is not only Nigerian in inclusion, but international. We have people coming from Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya and all the countries. The globe will be around with us,” Usman said.
Usman also commended Lingzhi Global for taking stakeholders across the country and beyond to gain knowledge in coffee processing and marketing, saying the company had played a critical role in connecting Nigerian stakeholders with international opportunities.
He said stakeholders would use the gathering to strategise on strengthening the coffee value chain and changing the narrative around coffee production in Nigeria, while calling for greater participation from government agencies, investors and other stakeholders.
The 2026 Coffee Festival International Nigeria is expected to bring together farmers, processors, roasters, investors, experts and other stakeholders from Nigeria and abroad for three days of knowledge-sharing, networking and promotion of the coffee industry.
The streets of Jos echoed with a simple message on Saturday: peace is everyone’s responsibility.
As part of activities marking the 2026 International Day of Peace, the Women for Positive Peacebuilding Initiative (WOPPI) joined other peace organisations for a peace walk from Old Airport Junction to Secretariat Junction Bridge.
Holding placards calling for unity, dialogue and peaceful coexistence, participants took the message of peace to the streets and into the public space.
This year’s International Day of Peace, observed on September 21, is themed “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.” The United Nations says the theme highlights the role of ordinary people as “everyday architects of peace.” (United Nations Peacekeeping)
For WOPPI Executive Director, Lantana Abdullah, the message is particularly important for Plateau, a state with a history of violent conflicts.
She said peace cannot be left to government or security agencies alone. Every citizen, she stressed, has a role to play.
“Every citizen residing in Plateau or beyond Plateau or in Nigeria must play their part in making sure we sustain and build enduring peace for everyone.”
Abdullah urged citizens to choose dialogue over confrontation, report responsibly and speak up when they see issues capable of threatening peace.
She also challenged negative narratives about Plateau, pointing out that people continue to live, work and build their livelihoods across the state despite its troubled past.
For WOPPI, women must also be at the centre of this process. The organisation works to strengthen women’s voices, train them as mediators and involve them in preventing and resolving conflicts within their communities.
The walk therefore carried more than placards. It carried a reminder: peace is not something people wait for others to create. It is something communities build—one conversation, one intervention and one peaceful choice at a time.
And in the words of this year’s global message, that investment must happen for everyone, everywhere, every day. (United Nations)
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