With Adedeji in the Saddle, FIRS Poised to Reshape Economy, Says Spokesman

James Emejo in Abuja

The Director, Communications and Liaison Department, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, yesterday declared that with a clear vision and strategic roadmap, the service remained determined to further play pivotal roles in shaping the country’s economic future under the leadership of Dr. Zacch Adedeji.

He said since his assumption of office, the FIRS chairman, had “practically demonstrated a capacity to take on the tax and fiscal space headlong with much equanimity expected of the capricorn that he is”.

Ahmad’s remarks commemorate Adedeji’s two-year stewardship at the Revenue House.

He noted that two years down the line, the FIRS chairman had recorded significant strides in transforming the nation’s tax system, surpassing revenue targets as well as introducing a raft of tax reforms, including modernised tax administration, and positioning the service as a customer-centric organisation.

He said, “As Adedeji embarks on his second year at the FIRS, Nigerians should expect more successes as he leverages his expertise to advance Nigeria’s economic growth and fiscal sustainability.”

Highlighting revenue collection achievements under Adedeji, Ahmad pointed out that the FIRS had consistently exceeded its revenue targets.

He said, “In 2023, the agency collected N12.36 trillion or 107 per cent thereby surpassing its target of N11.55 trillion. In 2024, he also collected 21.7 trillion naira against the target of N19.7 trillion.

“Between September 2023 and August 2025, the Service collected a total of N46 trillion in tax revenue. This represents 115 per cent of the combined revenue target of N40.07 trillion.”

He said, “These remarkable feats demonstrate Adedeji’s ability to drive success through strategic planning and efficiency. The two-year performance reflects the impact of reforms implemented by the management, which enhanced efficiency in the tax system, expanded the tax base, and improved compliance through digital solutions such as TaxPro-Max, e-Invoicing, and USSD (×829#) services.”

He said in the period under review, FIRS had strengthened enforcement measures, inter-agency collaboration, and improved staff welfare which further boosted productivity.

According to him, these measures reduced reliance on oil revenues, strengthened non-oil collections, and enabled the service to exceed its revenue targets between September 2023 and August 2025.

Ahmad said Adedeji introduced several initiatives to simplify the tax system and improve the taxpayer experience, particularly new tax legislation aimed at reforming the obsolete provisions of the tax laws and aligning the tax system with modern taxation and economic practices.

He listed the reforms to include the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 (NTA), the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025 (NTAA), the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act 2025 (JRBA), and the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2025 (NRSA).

Others included the TaxPro-Max, a tax administration system that automates over 80 per cent of manual processes, reducing bureaucracy and enhancing efficiency; the National Single Window Initiative, a platform that facilitates fast and easy trade operations at ports, harmonising government revenue and promoting economic growth; as well as the One-Stop Shop aimed at streamlining tax office operation that caters to diverse taxpayers by category, improving customer satisfaction and reducing complaints among others.

Further highlighting the customer-centric focus of the service which Adedeji spearheaded, the FIRS director said, “In FIRS, there are three recognised categories of customers: taxpayers, vendors, and staff. Understood in this sense, Adedeji emplaced processes that ensure effective customer mapping and customer satisfaction journey.

“He underscored his customer-centric approach to tax administration by saying, ‘We are committed to fair tax administration through responsive and accessible service to optimise revenue for national development’.

“Notwithstanding these achievements, Adedeji remains focused on improving Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio, which is far below the African average. To address this, the FIRS has set an ambitious target to raise the ratio to 18 per cent within the next few years.”