By Ambrose Nnaji
Nigeria’s tax administration architecture is set for a major transformation as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) intensifies high-level engagement with the country’s foremost security and intelligence agencies.
With the National Revenue Service (NRS) Act scheduled to take full effect on January 1, 2026, the agency is pushing for deeper inter-agency cooperation to safeguard national revenue assets, dismantle tax evasion networks, and secure the country’s financial future.
At a strategic stakeholder meeting held in Lagos, the Head of the FIRS Special Enforcement Division, CSP Kyes Bakfur, said Nigeria has reached a defining moment where revenue protection must evolve into a coordinated national mission.
“Effective revenue protection depends on shared intelligence, joint field operations and strong operational synergy. No single institution can successfully tackle the sophistication of modern tax evasion,” he said.
Bakfur highlighted the division’s contributions to protecting revenue infrastructure and executing critical enforcement operations across the country. He revealed that its activities had significantly supported the service’s revenue drive in 2024, adding that the transition to the NRS model requires even more robust collaboration with institutions such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and the Financial Surveillance Unit (FSU).
He described the Lagos engagement as a platform to deepen mutual trust, eliminate operational silos, and align enforcement strategies. “Our expectation is a more symbiotic relationship—one that strengthens national tax enforcement and ensures that every kobo due to government is secured,” he said.
Responding to concerns over inadequate logistics for enforcement activities, Bakfur said the FIRS leadership was already closing critical gaps. “The Executive Chairman has taken decisive steps to address those challenges,” he assured.
FIRS consultant, Oladipo Olayemi, who delivered a paper on inter-agency collaboration, emphasised that the session was not designed to expose internal weaknesses but to build a collective roadmap for a more secure and revenue-efficient Nigeria.
“More revenue means more funding for security agencies. If we generate more, government can invest more in the tools and manpower needed to make Nigeria safer,” he said.
Olayemi said persistent insecurity—ranging from smuggling and illegal mining to oil theft, cyber-enabled fraud and illicit financial flows—continues to drain the country’s revenue. He stressed that intelligence sharing and joint taskforces remain critical in uncovering tax evasion schemes that might otherwise go undetected.
“It takes a secure environment for revenue authorities to operate optimally. We must see ourselves as collaborators, not competitors,” he added.
Another FIRS consultant, Oladipupo Arowoshebi, reinforced the connection between national security and sustainable revenue generation. “When security becomes a national challenge, adequate funding becomes essential. That funding comes from revenue,” he said.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), represented by Chief Superintendent Ade Adams Oluwaseyi, reminded participants that corruption remains a major obstacle to tax compliance. She noted the ICPC’s role in prosecuting bribery, falsification of records and other malpractices that undermine tax administration.
She added that monitoring political office holders for tax compliance is critical to curbing high-level tax-related offences.
The meeting also spotlighted the Special Enforcement Division’s partnership with a police unit established by the Inspector-General of Police to support FIRS operations—an alliance described as instrumental to improving investigative reach and operational efficiency.
By the end of the engagement, all agencies reaffirmed a commitment to a unified national strategy for revenue protection. The collective message was unmistakable: sustained cooperation and intelligence sharing are indispensable to securing Nigeria’s tax system, strengthening national security, and preserving the country’s long-term fiscal stability.
