The Lagos State Government has grown its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from about ₦500 million monthly before 2005 to ₦1 trillion annually, becoming the first subnational government in Nigeria to achieve such a milestone.

Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Dr. Ayodele Subair, announced the feat over the weekend, attributing the remarkable increase to the agency’s extensive adoption of digital technology.

Subair, represented by the LIRS Deputy Director of Information Technology, Dr. Rasheed Olu-Ajayi, spoke as keynote speaker at the 2025 Chief Information Officer (CIO) & C-Suite Conference & Awards Africa, held at The Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. The conference, themed “The Digital Tax Shift,” highlighted how technology is reshaping tax administration across Africa.

Digital Transformation as Revenue Catalyst

According to Subair, Lagos’ revenue revolution is rooted in deliberate investments in digital infrastructure, automation, and data governance—initiatives that have strengthened revenue administration and enhanced taxpayer experience.

“Our Enterprise Tax Management System (ETMS), known as eTax, serves as the backbone of this transformation,” he said. “It integrates registration, assessment, filing, and payment processes on a single platform.”

Beyond automation, he emphasised that the LIRS transformation is also anchored on accountability, transparency, and a commitment to building a data-driven, responsive fiscal system. These pillars, he noted, have propelled Lagos from modest revenue generation to the ₦1 trillion annual IGR milestone.

Subair added that this figure is only the beginning, as the state plans to leverage emerging technologies—particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI)—to enhance compliance, widen the tax net, and modernise fiscal administration.

Fiscal Policy in a Digital Age

In his keynote address titled “Redefining Fiscal Policy in an Era of Innovation,” Subair noted that digitalisation has fundamentally changed the nature of commerce.

“The rise of e-commerce, fintech, virtual assets, mobile payments, and cross-border digital services has blurred traditional lines of taxation and trade,” he said. “The question before governments today is no longer whether to digitise, but how to govern effectively in a digitised world.”

He stressed that future fiscal systems will need to be intelligent, adaptive, and powered by strong human capacity, cross-sector partnerships, and continuous innovation.

CIO & C-Suite Awards: Celebrating African Innovation

Now in its sixth edition, the CIO & C-Suite Conference & Awards Africa is a platform for strategic discussions on technology and governance, and a celebration of innovation across the continent.

Following the conference, the CIO Awards honoured outstanding African professionals and organisations leveraging digital technology to deliver business value across sectors such as media, fintech, manufacturing, insurance, education, and entertainment.

Industry Leaders Call for Collaboration and Smart Infrastructure

Chairman of Edniesal Consulting and Chair of the Project Implementation Committee, Oluwakayode Adigun (Pa Kay), said the focus on digital tax shift underscores the need for collaboration amid sweeping tax reforms across Africa.

He noted that technology adoption—particularly AI—will play a key role in shaping the future of taxation and economic governance.

“The future is AI. It has already started,” he said. “Today, you can build websites in minutes and prepare presentations in seconds. AI is becoming central to how businesses operate across the continent.”

Convener of the CIO & C-Suite Africa Project, Mrs. Abiola Laseinde, described the Awards as a movement that amplifies Africa’s unsung technology leaders and celebrates the continent’s digital transformation.

She highlighted Nigeria’s progress in adopting digital tax systems but stressed the need for greater investment in smart infrastructure to fully unlock the benefits of emerging technologies.

“Technology must become part of our DNA,” she said. “If we fail to embrace it, we risk becoming irrelevant. To realise the full potential of AI and other digital tools, we need proactive collaboration to build smart cities and future-ready infrastructure.”

Africa’s Digital Momentum

Laseinde added that Africa is witnessing groundbreaking innovation—from fintech to agriculture, cybersecurity to education—and the continent is increasingly shaping the global technology landscape.

“Africa is not behind. Africa is not catching up. Africa is creating, leading, and setting the pace,” she said.