The Fiscal Responsibility Commission has advised state governors across Nigeria to develop revenue-generating mechanisms in their respective states.
The commission’s Executive Chairman, Victor Muruako, said it was important for governors to exploit their ingenuity in preparing for post crude oil revenue era.
Muruako gave the advice on Tuesday during the opening of a three-day technical session on “Sustaining the Gains of Fiscal Transparency and Accountability” in Jos.
He urged the governors to look within their domains to improve revenue generation to reduce the deficit level on budgets in the country.
Muruako maintained that reliance on federal allocation can no longer sustain the country in the years to come.
While citing the tourism sector in Plateau, Muruako expressed concern that the sector is lying fallow while some other nations depend on their tourism sector to survive.
“The key issue here is revenue, our ability to raise internally-generated revenue is key, because it will obviously reduce the deficit level of the budget.
“It is important that state governments are encouraged to look inwards, how they can raise funds within their confines.
“I remember when I came into Jos yesterday, I felt very nostalgic because this is a city that, ‘If I remember very well’, you find a lot of tourists. What happened?
“Is it only about insecurity, or that government has lost its focus on need to raise funds, Tourism is key?
“A lot of countries survive on revenue from tourism. We need to improve on it. State governors should think outside the box, we should all look outside the box, always looking forward to coming to Abuja to take part in the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAC) disbursement is not it, it won’t last too long.
“The crude as a key item that we normally trust, in the coming years will not be there again,” he said.
Muruako stressed the need to galvanise efforts to build the internally-generated revenue of the states, saying that the Jos wildlife park in particular could yield billions if properly harnessed.
“So this is the time we can build our agriculture, This is the time a State like Plateau can develop its tourism potential, it is very high.
“I made out time yesterday to visit the Jos Wildlife Park, this is one institution that can be touched and it will yield billions.
“What is happening to our efforts to galvanise our internally-generated revenue? This is why we are here as a commission,” he said.
