FROM UMUAHIA TO THE WORLD: How BemsSoft’s SMARTAIRS Redefined Public Revenue Collection in Abia

In the unfolding story of Abia State’s digital transformation, one name continues to surface quietly but consistently: SMARTAIRS, a revenue collection application developed not in Lagos, Abuja, or abroad, but right in Umuahia.

Built by BemsSoft Limited, an Umuahia-based technology company led by Dr. Pastra Arinze Etie, SMARTAIRS has emerged as one of the most impactful innovations reshaping how Abia State collects, tracks, and accounts for public revenue across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Local Government Areas (LGAs).

At a time when many states still grapple with revenue leakages, manual bottlenecks, and opaque payment processes, Abia’s revenue ecosystem has quietly undergone a structural reset powered by local talent, local insight, and local solutions.

When Governor Alex Otti assumed office, one of the clearest signals of his governance philosophy was his insistence on digitalisation across government processes, particularly in revenue collection. The objective was simple but bold: eliminate leakages, automate payments, and ensure every naira due to the government gets to government accounts transparently and instantly.

Rather than importing a foreign solution, the state leveraged homegrown expertise. The result was SMARTAIRS, a smart, terminal-based and app-driven revenue collection system designed specifically to meet Abia’s peculiar administrative, institutional, and grassroots realities.

SMARTAIRS is not just another payment app. It is a fully integrated revenue management ecosystem that connects MDAs, LGAs, banks, and government accounts in real time.

With SMARTAIRS:

-Revenue collection is seamless and automated

-Payments are made directly into government accounts

-Instant receipts are generated immediately

-Transactions are fully traceable and auditable

-The system is integrated with existing government platforms

-Human interference is drastically reduced

For revenue payers, the experience is simple, fast, and transparent. For the government, it means accountability, efficiency, and data-driven oversight.

Since deployment, SMARTAIRS has helped drive revenue collection to unprecedented levels in Abia State. Officials and independent observers confirm that internally generated revenue has significantly improved not because new taxes were introduced, but because leakages were blocked and compliance made easier.

Revenue payers interviewed across markets, transport hubs, and service points consistently describe the system as “easy,” “stress-free,” and “trustworthy.”

“Before now, you never knew if your payment actually reached the government. With SMARTAIRS, once you pay, you get your receipt instantly,” a trader in Umuahia noted.

Many users openly credit Governor Alex Otti’s digitalisation drive and the introduction of SMARTAIRS for restoring confidence in the revenue process.

What began as a local solution has now attracted global and national attention.

In recent months, United Nations agencies, including UNDP, international development partners, youth tech groups, and innovation hubs have visited BemsSoft Limited in Umuahia to understudy the SMARTAIRS model.

Even more telling, other Nigerian states have begun visiting Abia to explore how the SMARTAIRS innovation can be replicated in their own jurisdictions.

The message is clear: world-class solutions can emerge from Umuahia.

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BemsSoft Limited has over 80 professionals across multiple capacities, software developers, programmers, system operators, backend and frontend engineers, and support staff.

By trusting a local company, Abia State has not only improved revenue performance but has also:

-Created high-value tech jobs

-Retained expertise within the state

-Strengthened the local innovation ecosystem

-Built institutional knowledge that remains accessible to government

This is one of the strongest arguments for local content advantage solutions built by people who understand the terrain, the users, and the institutions they serve.

SMARTAIRS’ credibility was further strengthened when Access Bank, the government mandated revenue collection partner, adopted the platform. Within just six months of deployment, the partnership proved that BemsSoft possesses the technical depth and operational capacity to deliver turnkey revenue solutions at scale.

Industry watchers say the collaboration validated SMARTAIRS as a system capable of handling complex, high-volume government transactions without compromise.

Unlike generic platforms, SMARTAIRS was built to solve a specific governance problem, how to collect public revenue efficiently in a way that works for both government and citizens.

That tailored approach explains its widespread acceptance, ease of use, and growing reputation beyond Abia.

As digital governance continues to define the future of public administration, SMARTAIRS stands as proof that innovation rooted in local understanding can compete globally.

Emenike Iroegbu
All Facts Newspaper