Bauchi can boost revenue by taxing social media firms – APM governorship candidate

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Movement (APM) in Bauchi State, Dr Yakubu Adamu, has said the state can increase its internally generated revenue by tapping into its large base of social media users.

Speaking in an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) Hausa, Adamu argued that Bauchi should receive a share of the revenue generated by major social media companies.

“Considering the large number of people using social media in this state, we should be receiving a share of the revenue, but we have never received even a kobo from YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other modern platforms. We want to recover these funds from these companies so that our revenue can increase,” he said.

The APM candidate also stressed that attracting investors requires the government to create a business-friendly environment.

“A company will not come unless you provide opportunities or create a favourable environment for it. For example, how will you make taxes easier for investors? How will you provide land for them to operate? How will you simplify regulations and improve security so that when they come, they will feel confident and comfortable?” he said.

Adamu further recalled that Bauchi State had previously hosted an investment summit attended by both local and foreign investors, during which investment commitments worth nearly $6 billion were secured.