Technology’ll Harmonize, Promote Transparency in Tax Reforms – NRS
By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
The Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Mr. Zacch Adedeji has said that technology will harmonize, promote efficiency, transparency, and accountability of tax laws.
Adedeji who was the guest speaker at the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) Stakeholder Engagement Forum with a theme “Harmonising Revenue Systems and Implementing New Tax Laws said this on Monday in Abuja.
Represented by the Executive Secretary, Joint Revenue Board, Mr. Olusegun Philip Adesokan, at the Stakeholder Engagement Forum with a theme “Harmonising Revenue Systems and Implementing New Tax Laws” on Monday in Abuja, stated that technology plays a vital role in the new tax laws of the country.
Adedeji highlighted the long term effects of fiscal and tax reforms being implemented under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, designed to reposition the nation’s revenue generation structure to promote efficiency, equity, and sustainable public finance management.
Furthermore, he commended the FCT-IRS for convening a high-level stakeholders’ engagement forum to strengthen revenue administration and unify Nigeria’s sweeping fiscal reforms.
According to Adedeji, the forum is both essential and timely, adding that the ongoing reforms seek to redefine compliance, reduce revenue leakages, and strengthen tax administration.
“This commitment will help to build a transparent, efficient, and collaborative tax ecosystem that will accelerate infrastructural development and economic prosperity in the Capital Territory.
The Acting Executive Chairman of the FCT-IRS, Michael Ango, described the engagement forum as a transformative initiative aimed at fostering genuine partnerships with stakeholders.
“This stakeholder engagement forum is one with a difference. We have not called you here today to educate you on your obligations or to tell you how much taxes we have collected.”
“Rather, we have called you here to discuss our vision for the FCT and how we can work together as partners to achieve that vision,” he stated.
Ango affirmed that economic growth is fundamentally driven at the community level, noting that national economic progress was built upon the collective productivity and tax contributions of citizens, businesses, and institutions.
He explained that the service under his leadership was working to have a tax administration that would live up to global standards.
He hailed the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike for unprecedented infrastructure development and improvement in security across the territory.
“These developments do not occur accidentally but by deliberate design through internally generated revenue. The fundamental purpose of taxation is to fund essential services, drive infrastructure development, and create a self-reinforcing cycle of economic growth and civic responsibility.”
Ango noted that reliable revenue ensures predictable funding for infrastructure, security, and public services, the essential elements of a livable capital city.
He disclosed that the FCT-IRS, as a statutory member of the Joint Revenue Board, now has enhanced access to national tax systems, enabling the service to leverage existing legal frameworks, digital infrastructure, and institutional collaborations to improve tax administration.
Relating to the people-centered approach of -FIRS, he pinpointed voluntary compliance as a priority, while enforcement remains only as a last resort.
Director of Taxpayer Services, Chinwe Ndu, emphasized the significance of the forum as a critical platform for collaboration and alignment, stating that the primary objective of the workshop was to build a shared understanding of the new tax laws, enhance voluntary compliance, and promote ease of doing business within the FCT.
Ndu noted that taxation functions best in an environment of clarity and cooperation.
“Tax thrives on collaboration rather than confusion. Our goal is to craft and implement a tax framework that is both pragmatic and practicable,” she added.
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