Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, on Thursday, declared that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) was a pivotal partner in efforts to improve tax compliance, accountability, and revenue performance in the country.
Adedeji said given the OAGF’s central role in financial controls and disbursements across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), it had a crucial responsibility in ensuring that taxes collected were shielded from leakages and misappropriation.
The FIRS boss spoke at the opening of FIRS-OAGF stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja, with the theme, “Enhancing Tax Compliance through Collaboration.”
Adedeji said besides playing the role of treasurer, the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) was the chief accounting officer of the federal government, who conducted financial reporting and management of government funds.
He lamented that despite technological advances achieved in payment platforms, including the federal government’s
Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System (GIFMIS) as well as FIRS’ TaxPro MAX platform, “We continue to observe lapses in withholding tax deductions, VAT remittances, and stamp duty administration from the MDA space.”
He said those gaps, many of which were due to technical limitations and knowledge deficit on tax compliance requirements, had resulted in significant revenue losses and recurrent audit issues.
The FIRS chairman said the workshop was not just an opportunity to share knowledge, but also a strategic turning point to co-design solutions that will close the existing gaps and build a smarter, more efficient, and technology-driven tax compliance culture in the country.
Adedeji said, “When government institutions are tax-compliant, the message it sends to the private sector and to citizens is powerful – that no one is above the law, and that transparency begins at home.
“Our credibility as public institutions is tested, first, by our own adherence to tax regulations. If we must grow revenue to meet our national development priorities, then we must begin by ensuring that public sector actors play by the rules and help others do the same.
“That is why this engagement is not another conference, it is a joint mission. It is a collaborative task to standardise systems, deepen understanding, address operational inefficiencies, and align our collective responsibilities within the public finance management ecosystem.”
He stated that the success of the engagement depended not only on the brilliance of the discussions, but also on the actions taken thereafter.
Adedeji said participants must commit to building stronger bridges between FIRS and OAGF, establishing clear reporting and escalation channels for tax remittance lapses, and embed compliance education in the internal training curriculum for public finance officers, as well as design feedback loops to ensure that both GIFMIS and TaxPro MAX evolved to meet shared needs.
In his remarks, the AGF, Mr. Babatunde Ogunjimi, said taxation was the lifeblood of the Nigerian economy, adding that improving tax compliance is not just a fiscal priority but a national imperative.
Ogunjimi stated that one of the key objectives of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda was to diversify revenue sources and reduce reliance on volatile oil revenues.
He said this could only be achieved through collaboration among revenue-generating agencies and other stakeholders.
The AGF pointed out that the engagement provided a unique platform to foster synergy between FIRS and OAGF, align strategies, and address challenges hindering optimal tax collection and remittances.
He said by leveraging technology, strengthening accountability, and promoting transparency and probity, the federal government could significantly enhance compliance and boost government revenue for sustainable development.
Ogunjimu said the engagement also provided an opportunity to address Tinubu’s desire to achieve $1 trillion economy by 2030.
James Emejo
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