Sir Fidelis Okenmor Tilije, Commissioner for Finance, Delta State, has disclosed that Delta State is the highest-ranked state in liquidity rating among Nigeria’s 36 states attributing the feat to fiscal discipline, improved revenue generation, and prudent management of public resources.
Tilije made the disclosure during a meeting with management and staff of the Ministry of Finance in Asaba, where he outlined the financial strategy of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration. He said reforms under the government’s M.O.R.E Agenda had strengthened responsible borrowing practices, revenue diversification, and public financial management.
The commissioner disclosed that Delta state is financing its 2026 procurement cycle and implementing major projects in roads, bridges, healthcare, and education without contracting fresh debt. He described the state’s zero-borrowing approach as central to its effort to meet development obligations from available resources, adding that the expansion of the state’s revenue base, particularly through non-oil activities and improved internally generated revenue (IGR), had contributed significantly to its financial stability. According to him, IGR growth resulted from professionalised revenue collection, a wider tax net, better compliance, and reduced leakages—not higher tax rates.
Tilije said the state has maintained consistent salary payments to more than 60,000 workers between the 24th and 25th of every month. He also cited the institutionalisation of the 13th-month salary as evidence of the administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
In the health sector, he said the government has sustained free medical services for pregnant women and children under five in public hospitals, while upgrading primary healthcare centres across the state. The commissioner pledged that the administration would continue prioritising fiscal responsibility, infrastructure, and human capital development. He also urged Deltans to support Governor Oborevwori’s re-election bid in 2027.