The Edo Internal Revenue Service: Examination of Tax Administration in Edo State (Part 1)

… _the EIRS plays key roles in the economic development under the leadership of Otunba (Hon) Oladele Bankole-Balogun Esq_

By Elempe Dele

The Executive Chairman of the Edo Internal Revenue Service, EIRS, Hon. Oladele Bankole-Balogun, who was appointed in December, 2024, with his team, came with zest and innovative ideas in managing tax administration in Edo State. In 2025, EIRS, under his leadership, announced a landmark strategic partnership with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, (MOU) in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The MOU, which was signed by the Executive Chairman, was seen as a major step in the state’s drive to leverage Intelligence and data analytics for the purpose of expanding tax net and enhancing transparency in revenue administration.

The collaboration between NFIU and EIRS was necessary for the seamless exchange of financial Intelligence and data so as to assist the EIRS to identify high-net-worth individuals(HNIs) as well as corporate entities currently operating outside the tax database, identity instances of tax evasion, and also be able to minimize leakages of tax returns across the state.

According to Bankole-Balogun, who spoke after the signing, “This alliance with the NFIU is a game-changer for our revenue architecture. It signifies a critical shift from traditional enforcement methods to an Intelligence-driven compliance regime. We are now strategically equipped to analyze financial data, trace taxable income, and ensure every eligible citizen and business contributes their fair share. This move is crucial to achieving the state’s ambitious Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) goal, which are vital for funding the Senator Monday Okpebholo led administration and the SHINE agenda which centres on security, health, infrastructure, harnessing our natural and agricultural resources as well as Education.”

In addition to this, the Executive Chairman said the partnership between the two institutions aligns perfectly with the EIRS’s commitment to the digitalization and closing the gap between potential and revenue collection. He appealed to the citizens to support the administration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as to bring the dividends of democracy to even the grassroots.

Elempe Dele, is a journalist, he wrote from Abuja.