VAT: Lagos, Rivers Can’t Survive Without Population – Governor Masari

Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari has spoken against the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) by states, saying the North contributes to the economic development of Lagos and Rivers.

Speaking exclusively with Daily Trust, Mr Masari described the agitation over tax collection as a joke.

“What is Lagos without the rest of Nigeria? The market Lagos is boasting of is dependent on the larger part of the country. Benin Republic has a port, Togo has a port; do they have the population to back up the ports? Without us providing the demand part, what will be Lagos?” Mr Masari said.

Mr Masari told the media outlet that both Rivers and Lagos were reliant on population from other parts of the country to sustain their economy, adding that states benefited from each other in the revenue equation.

“VAT serves them and us. We provide the bulk of the market because without the rest of the states what is Lagos or Port Harcourt?” Mr Masari said.

According to him, “Any state that thinks it can survive in isolation is joking. We provide the demand that makes Lagos what it is.”