Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, has approved the recruitment of 350 ad hoc workers into the Jigawa State Internal Revenue Service (JIRS) to address manpower shortages and strengthen tax administration and revenue collection across the state.
The Executive Chairman of JIRS, Dr Nasiru Saba Idris, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ town hall meeting on the implementation of the 2025 tax reforms and improvement of the Taxpayer Grievance Redress Mechanism in Dutse.
Idris said the recruitment was provided for in the state’s current budget following concerns raised by civil society organisations and development partners over inadequate personnel in the revenue service.
He explained that the additional workforce would strengthen the service’s operational capacity, improve engagement with taxpayers and enhance revenue collection across the state.
The chairman said the town hall meeting was organised to obtain stakeholders’ feedback on tax administration procedures, particularly the handling of complaints and grievances by taxpayers.
According to him, the programme featured two days of training for JIRS personnel, followed by another two-day capacity-building session for civil society organisations, before the town hall meeting brought together revenue officials, taxpayers, civil society groups and local government revenue officers.
Idris commended development partners for supporting tax administration reforms in the state, noting that their interventions had contributed to capacity building and efforts to domesticate the national tax reforms.
He said the meeting also provided an opportunity to assess the existing Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and identify areas requiring improvement to make the system more accessible, efficient and responsive to taxpayers’ concerns.
The chairman explained that taxpayers could currently lodge complaints through telephone calls, WhatsApp, email and an online complaint form.
He, however, said the service was exploring technology-driven solutions to improve the system and make it easier for taxpayers, including those in remote communities, to report complaints and communicate directly with revenue officials.
He added that the proposed improvements were aimed at ensuring timely resolution of complaints and improving service delivery by the revenue authority.
On allegations of harassment and intimidation by some tax collectors, Idris warned that the service would not tolerate such conduct, describing it as unacceptable and contrary to the principles of lawful tax administration.
He urged taxpayers who experienced harassment, intimidation or extortion to report such incidents through the service’s grievance redress channels for investigation and appropriate action.
According to him, reporting such cases would also enable the service to verify the identities of individuals demanding taxes and establish whether they were authorised revenue officials.
Idris stressed that tax collection must be conducted professionally and in accordance with the law, without exposing taxpayers to intimidation, extortion or unlawful demands.
He reaffirmed the service’s commitment to strengthening public confidence in tax administration through improved complaint resolution, sustained stakeholder engagement and professional conduct among revenue personnel.
The meeting formed part of ongoing efforts to improve tax administration in Jigawa State following the introduction of the 2025 tax reform laws, with particular emphasis on protecting taxpayers’ rights, promoting accountability and strengthening revenue mobilisation.
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