The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has strengthened its collaboration with Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), offering enhanced technical assistance and capacity-building support. This move comes as Nigeria begins implementing a set of four newly signed tax laws aimed at modernizing and strengthening tax administration. The IMF team, led by senior economist Paulo Paz, acknowledged the significant improvements FIRS has made in recent years, and pledged continued support to navigate the challenges introduced by the reforms.
At the opening session of the IMF-supported Headquarters Mission in Abuja, Paz commended the leadership of FIRS under its chairman, Zacch Adedeji. He emphasized the increased relevance and responsibilities of the agency under the new laws and reaffirmed the IMF’s commitment to helping FIRS deliver on its mandate. The partnership seeks to ensure that Nigeria’s tax system contributes effectively to economic growth and public service delivery.
Zacch Adedeji, represented by his Chief of Staff, Tayo Koleosho, welcomed the IMF team and expressed appreciation for the longstanding support from the global body. He highlighted areas of collaboration such as digital transformation, VAT automation, and compliance monitoring. Adedeji also revealed that FIRS would transition into the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) in the coming year, with the IMF expected to remain a key strategic partner.
Further remarks came from Bolaji Akintola, Coordinating Director of the Corporate Services Group at FIRS, who noted the IMF’s critical role in shaping recent tax system improvements. She disclosed that FIRS had conducted two rounds of evaluation using the Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool (TADAT) between 2018 and 2023, with post-assessment reforms significantly improving institutional performance.
Akintola added that the recent tax reforms codified several improvements from the TADAT evaluations, further advancing institutional excellence. She expressed confidence that any future assessment would show even better results, thanks to the service’s ongoing efforts to address previous weaknesses. With IMF backing, FIRS is positioned to become a more efficient and transparent tax administration body, aligning with Nigeria’s broader economic development agenda.
Source: Leadership