Anambra Revenue Board Counters Obi: SABMiller Not Among Top Taxpayers

The Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AIRS) has disputed a recent statement by former governor Peter Obi, clarifying that SABMiller Breweries is not the state’s highest tax-paying corporate entity as claimed.

Obi had made the assertion during a recent appearance on Channels Television, where he referenced SABMiller—established during his tenure as governor—as a major contributor to Anambra’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

However, in a detailed rebuttal titled “Peter Obi on SABMiller Breweries – Facts and Figures,” AIRS Chairman Greg Ezeilo stated that the brewery does not rank among the state’s top five tax contributors.

“For the avoidance of doubts, while the Service has made very monumental strides in increasing the Internally Generated Revenue of the state from its very low ebb of between ₦1.5B to ₦2.0B per month, and even much lower in the previous years, the tax collection has consistently moved up to ₦4B per month, with an all-time high of ₦10.5B in the month of May 2025,” the statement read.

Ezeilo further disclosed that based on tax records from 2023 and 2024, Fidelity Bank Plc emerged as the top corporate taxpayer in the state, while SABMiller came in sixth. The brewery reportedly paid a total of ₦656.5 million over the two years—averaging ₦28 million per month in 2023 and ₦26.62 million in 2024.

“This clearly puts to rest the claim that SABMiller is the state’s highest taxpayer,” the statement added.

The revenue board noted that the clarification was in response to growing public inquiries following Obi’s televised remarks, and said it was necessary to set the record straight with verifiable data.

“The above clarifications became necessary to properly situate the claims made by the former governor and to give undiluted information for the members of the public to note.”

Ezeilo emphasized the agency’s commitment to accountability and openness, reiterating that the AIRS remains focused on driving revenue growth through fair and transparent tax administration.