An investigation has shown that Rivers State generate approximately N55 billion annually from road taxes, although only N223.93 million was recorded to have been received in the government treasury in 2022.
This investigation was funded by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) and discovered that a substantial part of the income is embezzled by officials associated with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), local touts, and contractors.
The report focused on nine local authorities within Rivers State and estimated that there are 62,418 vehicles, 24,432 tricycles, and 10,892 motorcycles. Commercial vehicles pay N1,800 daily, accumulating to N41.121 billion annually, while tricycles pay N1,400 daily, amounting to N12.519 billion annually.
However, less than one percent of this cash flow is remitted to government treasury, as stated in the 2022 Internally Generated Revenue records published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Experts have condemned the failure to implement electronic payment systems for road taxes, which would increase transparency and minimize revenue loss.
Rivers State has struggled with revenue management, with domestic debts totaling N226 billion as of June 30, 2023, and an unemployment rate of 41.59 percent in 2020.
