Cross River Revenue Service Targets N10 Billion Monthly Income by 2026
The Cross River State Internal Revenue Service (CRIRS) has unveiled an ambitious plan to boost its monthly internally generated revenue (IGR) to N10 billion beginning January 2026.
Speaking during a two-day mid-year performance review held in Calabar on Friday, the Chairman of the agency, Mr. Edwin Okon, announced that the revenue drive would be anchored on recently enacted federal tax legislation.
Okon noted that CRIRS had already made significant strides in revenue collection, with a 39.7% growth recorded when compared to the same period last year.
“Between January and June 2025, we have generated about N27 billion, compared to N19 billion recorded at the same period in 2024.
“If we maintain this trajectory, we expect to surpass our annual target of N43.9 billion and achieve between N54 billion and N60 billion by the end of the year,” he said.
He attributed the agency’s success to the adoption of automated tax administration systems and a supportive relationship with the state government.
“In my two years in office, the governor has never interfered with my job. This has helped us to achieve remarkable results,” he said.
Okon further explained that the recently introduced federal tax reforms would ease the financial pressure on low-income earners while enhancing compliance and transparency across the board. He added that measures were already in place to plug leakages and ensure that all government-owned entities are fully integrated into the tax net.
Also speaking at the session, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Mike Odere, urged ministries—especially those overseeing Lands and Housing—to significantly improve their revenue performance to align with the state’s ongoing infrastructure investment.
“We are imputing a lot of cash into reforms across sectors such as lands and housing, we expect them to triple their revenue targets to justify these investments,” Odere added.
On his part, the state Head of Service, Mr. Innocent Eteng, emphasised the need for the state to harness its abundant natural resources and align with the evolving federal tax environment to optimise returns.
