Garlands of Praise as Powerhouse of Tinubu Administration, Zach Adedeji, Turns 48

When Nigeria’s treasury speaks, it does so through Zacch Adedeji. As he turned 48 on January 8, the numbers told a compelling story of his first years in office.

Adedeji is the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS). A former finance commissioner in Oyo State, he was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in September 2023. His mandate was to transform the nation’s revenue machinery, certainly a bold mandate intended to produce happy results for his boss. And he has done exactly so.

Under Adedeji’s stewardship, NRS reported a historic 411% revenue surge, with collections climbing from N711 billion in May 2023 to N3.635 trillion by September 2025. Analysts attribute this crescendo to a mix of aggressive reform and technological push.

He is the chief exponent of the new 2026 tax regime. This includes a major policy shift: exempting individuals earning less than N800,000 annually from personal income tax. The reforms aim to simplify a notoriously complex system.

His methodology relies heavily on digitisation. He has automated over 80% of manual processes through the TaxProMax system. Furthermore, he launched a national e-invoicing platform for large taxpayers. This techne is central to his modernising agenda.

Beyond taxes, Adedeji’s purview is expanding. He now leads the National Single Window Project, a digital platform designed to overhaul Nigeria’s entire trade sector. This move signals his role as a broader economic architect, not just a tax collector.

President Tinubu has publicly praised him as a “think-and-do” innovator. This encomium from the President double-clicks Adedeji’s position within the administration’s innermost economic circle. He is seen as a quiet but indispensable fulfillment of the promise of technocratic governance.

Therefore, the celebration of his 48th birthday was less about festivity and more about accolades, serving as a moment to recognise the man tasked with funding the nation’s ambitions. His success directly impacts Nigeria’s push toward a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

Adedeji’s story is one of precision meeting opportunity. The accountant from Ogbomoso has become the administration’s chief revenue engineer. The reigning government consists of many voices, but Adedeji’s influence comes across as best measured in silent, steady billions flowing into the national coffers. Thus, every time the treasury reports another record collection, the man is celebrated.