The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has enlisted the support of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in its renewed push to strengthen voluntary tax compliance across the country.
FIRS Executive Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, where both agencies reaffirmed their commitment to deepen collaboration and protect public revenue.
Adedeji noted that the newly signed Tax Acts which take effect in January 2026 will transform the FIRS into the Nigerian Revenue Service, further expanding its mandate. He stressed that inter-agency cooperation was crucial to sustaining financial stability and building public trust in Nigeria’s revenue system.
“We cannot pursue 200 million Nigerians individually to do the right thing, but we want to put a system in place that will aid compliance,” he said. “You can help us by letting people know that when they violate the law, there is a place you can keep them.”
He explained that voluntary compliance would improve only if taxpayers saw tangible results from government spending. According to him, the recent success in meeting the federal government’s revenue target ahead of schedule was made possible through preventive strategies and partnerships with institutions like the EFCC.
President Bola Tinubu had last week announced that Nigeria had met its 2025 revenue target by August, with about N20 trillion collected mostly from non-oil sources.
In his response, EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, pledged continuous support, describing collaboration with FIRS as key to strengthening Nigeria’s tax enforcement framework.
“When they see EFCC beside FIRS, it sends a signal to the public that it is no longer business as usual,” he said.
Olukoyede also referenced a recent Court of Appeal ruling affirming the EFCC’s powers to investigate tax-related fraud, saying it was a significant boost to the commission’s mandate.
Both leaders agreed to consolidate their partnership, placing emphasis on preventive measures, compliance, and accountability as pillars of Nigeria’s tax administration.
