Residents of Kogi State must now pay ground rent as part of their tax obligations, according to the state government.
Alhaji Sule Enehe, Chairman of Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGSIRS), announced the development during a stakeholders’ engagement in Lokoja.
He stated that enumerators have been deployed across the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) to facilitate effective implementation of the law.
The introduction of ground rent is part of tax reforms aimed at enhancing revenue collection, transparency, and fair contributions from stakeholders.
“This law improves revenue collection, promotes transparency, and ensures all stakeholders contribute their fair share to Kogi’s development,” Enehe said.
Previously, KGSIRS collected tenement rates for local governments, but ground rent enforcement had not yet been implemented in the state.
Initiated last year, the Land Use Charge Law is expected to boost Kogi State’s internally generated revenue through effective tax policies.
Enehe urged local government chairmen to support house enumeration teams, ensuring seamless execution and compliance with the newly introduced tax policy.
Mr. Femi Williams, CEO of New Wave Echo System, noted that other states have successfully implemented similar policies for years.
Exemptions under the Land Use Charge Law include government-owned properties, places of worship, schools, healthcare facilities, and traditional rulers’ residences.
Additionally, properties below a legally defined size threshold will also be exempt from paying the newly introduced ground rent tax.
Olamaboro LGA Chairman, Mr. Cosmos Atabo, and Lokoja LGA Chairman, Mr. Abdullahi Adamu, assured full grassroots-level implementation.
