Zamfara State’s internally generated revenue rose to ₦32.3 billion in 2025. It was ₦25.4 billion in 2024. The increase was ₦6.9 billion. The state Auditor-General, Abubakar Danmaliki, disclosed this while presenting the 2025 audited financial statements in Gusau. The increase represents a 78.6% improvement.
Zamfara has struggled with low IGR. The state depends on federal allocations. Banditry has disrupted economic activity. Farmers cannot access fields. Markets have closed. Businesses have fled. IGR growth seemed impossible. The current figures suggest improvement.
Danmaliki said his office audited 98 ministries, departments and agencies. The audit identified non-compliance with financial regulations and procurement laws. It also identified unretired advances and weak inventory management. The 2025 financial statements were prepared under International Public Sector Accounting Standards. The Auditor-General commended Governor Dauda Lawal for supporting transparency. He urged accounting officers to respond promptly to audit queries. He called for sanctions against officials who violated financial regulations.
Winners: The Zamfara government, which shows revenue growth. The Auditor-General, who demonstrates oversight. Taxpayers, if funds are used well. Losers: Tax evaders, who face enforcement. Officials who violated regulations, who face sanctions. The state, if revenue growth is not sustained.
Bottom Line: Zamfara’s IGR rose 78.6%. The state is collecting more. Security remains difficult. Revenue growth is welcome. It must translate into services. The audit exposed weaknesses. The state must fix them.