An internal planning document obtained by SaharaReporters shows that Alpha-Beta Consulting LLP, a firm long linked to President Bola Tinubu, has set a target of generating ₦2.83 trillion in tax revenue from Lagos State in 2026—more than double the state’s recent revenue figures.
The document, titled “2026 Budget and Strategies at Improving IGR,” outlines an aggressive revenue drive at a time when many Nigerians are facing economic hardship marked by business closures, job losses, rising inflation and growing public distrust of government fiscal policies.
According to the figures contained in the document, Lagos State’s tax revenue stood at ₦1.25 trillion as of December 31, 2024, and rose to ₦1.41 trillion by October 31, 2025. Alpha-Beta’s projection for 2026, however, jumps sharply to ₦2.83 trillion.
The proposed target has raised concerns among tax professionals, small business owners and civil society groups, who fear it could result in tougher enforcement measures, expanded tax surveillance and stiffer penalties, particularly for already struggling businesses.
These concerns appear reinforced by Alpha-Beta’s assessment of taxpayer behaviour, in which the firm complained that “some taxpayers are in the habit of making staggered payments in contrary to the tax law.” In the current economic climate, staggered payments have become a coping mechanism for many businesses, prompting fears that stricter enforcement could force more firms to shut down.
Despite the ambitious projection, the document shows that Alpha-Beta faced several operational challenges in 2025. These included frequent network downtime and power supply issues at offices outside its headquarters and at the Alausa Secretariat.
The firm also acknowledged weaknesses in revenue monitoring and compliance enforcement, citing its “inability to monitor PAYE paid under Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)” and challenges arising from some MDAs’ revenue codes not being available on the Lagos Revenue Portal (LRP).
Alpha-Beta further admitted difficulties in accessing information on distressed or closed companies from the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), noting that repeated attempts proved abortive and led to wasted productive hours and embarrassment during engagements with affected companies.
Other unresolved issues listed in the document include pending technical problems, inadequate or malfunctioning operational tools such as laptops and UPS devices, and recurring Ibile Card printing challenges.
Despite these setbacks, the firm described 2025 as a successful year, stating that it generated ₦1.41 trillion in tax revenue as of October 31, 2025. It also reported facilitating the onboarding of 122 MDAs on the LRP, monitoring 11,762 corporate taxpayers, enumerating 7,042 new potential taxpayers and sending 28,628 bulk SMS messages to defaulters, although the messaging exercise was later halted due to logistical issues.
Alpha-Beta further reported an increase in the number of active taxpayers, noting that 570,590 companies paid taxes as of October 2025, including 218,258 PAYE remittances, compared with figures from the previous year.
Additional achievements listed include ₦125.52 million added through tax audit reports, validation of 119,380 ARR and 3,631 ETCCs, recovery of long-outstanding debts and the cleansing of data for 23,451 companies in its database.
The revelations come amid heightened public scrutiny of taxation policies, with Nigerians increasingly questioning the fairness, timing and transparency of the Tinubu administration’s proposed fiscal reforms.
