Determined to make lottery a major source of revenue for the country, the National Lottery Regulatory Commission is set to introduce a central monitoring system that would ensure that all earnings due to government on lottery are collected with precision.
The Director-General of the commission, Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, who made the disclosure in Abuja yesterday, said with the new system, all the loopholes and drains in the lottery business would be blocked so that the entire taxes and revenues payable to the government are fully collected and remitted to government coffers.
Gbajabiamila in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday explained that with all the measures being put in place by the commission, lottery would soon be contributing significantly to the federal treasury, as it is being done in advanced countries like America, United Kingdom and Spain.
The lottery commission boss affirmed that both the management and staff members of the commission are being prepped with training and enhanced welfare package for effective take off of the novel system.
The director general assured Nigerians that in addition to the recently approved peculiar allowance for members of staff of the commission, the enhanced salary structure permitted for them since 2015 would become implementable after the realisation of the new monitoring system, as the commission would then have sufficient funds to meet its obligations.
Gbajabiamila also hinted that work had reached an advanced stage on the establishment of an indigenous National Game for all the benefits of higher revenues for the government, greater dividends for stakers and profound growth in the industry generally.
“We are always concerned on improving the capacity and welfare of our staff in all our considerations and projections. We put the issues of welfare and capacity first. We are totally committed to implementing a more robust welfare scheme for them.
“I am upbeat that in a matter of some few years, lottery shall become a major source of revenue for Nigeria. I am glad that I have a highly dynamic and supportive Minister of Special Duties, Senator George Akume, supervising the commission. The Governing Board under the chairmanship of Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle too has been awesome, while the management and staff members have shown profound dedication and commitment in the discharge of their duties. For the lottery industry in our dear country, the future is bright,” he said.
