The Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, has declared that technology will determine the success of Nigeria’s newly enacted tax laws, describing digital infrastructure as the backbone of the sweeping reforms. Speaking on Wednesday at the inaugural convocation lecture of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Oyo State, Adedeji stressed that without technology, the new tax laws would remain largely aspirational.
Delivering a lecture titled “The Role of Technology in Implementing Nigeria’s New Tax Laws: Challenges, Prospects, and Implications for National Development,” Adedeji explained that the reforms represent the most significant restructuring of Nigeria’s fiscal legislation in five decades. According to him, while the changes may appear legal on the surface, they go far deeper — signaling a structural shift from manual tax collection to what he described as “tax intelligence.”
He noted that the new framework assumes the existence of reliable taxpayer identification systems, integrated institutional data, traceable transactions, automated processes, and scalable enforcement mechanisms. “These laws are built for a digital environment,” he said, warning that a fragmented, paper-based system would undermine their effectiveness. Historically, he explained, excessive human discretion in tax administration created inconsistencies, eroded public trust, and encouraged non-compliance.
Adedeji identified infrastructure gaps, limited technical skills, public mistrust, and resistance to change as major obstacles confronting the tax system. However, he expressed confidence that ongoing digital upgrades would address these challenges. He added that a technology-driven approach would expand the tax net without raising rates — a crucial factor in a country where many citizens already feel financially strained.
By improving visibility across economic activities, technology can bring informal and previously untaxed sectors into the formal system, he said, thereby promoting fairness and sustainable revenue growth. In their remarks, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Senator AbdulFatai Buhari, and the institution’s leadership praised Adedeji’s reforms and encouraged graduating students to pursue excellence, noting that the NRS chairman himself began his journey at a polytechnic — a reminder that innovation and leadership can rise from humble beginnings.