The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has described the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a crucial partner in its mission to enforce voluntary tax compliance and protect public revenue.
In a statement on Tuesday, FIRS Executive Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration during a courtesy visit to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja. He noted that the newly signed Tax Acts — which officially transform the agency into the Nigerian Revenue Service — will come into effect in January 2026, ushering in a new era of tax enforcement and accountability.
Adedeji explained that while FIRS cannot directly pursue every Nigerian to ensure compliance, stronger systems, backed by enforcement agencies like the EFCC, will drive results. “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 added that voluntary compliance is only possible when taxpayers see tangible results from public funds. “The main advertisement of voluntary compliance is when people begin to see what we use the money we collect for. In achieving that goal, you are critical, not just in arresting defaulters but in supporting our Department of Fraud Risk, Assessment and Control to ensure value for money,” Adedeji said.
The FIRS boss credited Nigeria’s ability to meet its 2025 revenue target ahead of schedule to preventive strategies and partnerships with agencies like the EFCC. In August, President Bola Tinubu confirmed that the government had already collected ₦20 trillion in revenue, with a significant share coming from non-oil sources — a milestone that underscores the country’s ongoing fiscal reforms.
In response, EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, reaffirmed the commission’s readiness to support tax enforcement. He referenced a recent Court of Appeal ruling affirming EFCC’s authority to investigate tax fraud, describing it as a critical boost to their mandate. “Collaboration is key. When they see EFCC beside FIRS, that will send a signal to the public that it is no longer business as usual,” he said.
The renewed partnership between FIRS and EFCC strengthens Nigeria’s tax compliance framework and sends a clear message to both individuals and corporations: tax evasion will not be tolerated. For real estate investors and business operators, this alignment reinforces the importance of transparency and compliance in sustaining economic growth — a recurring theme in Property Media Week’s analysis of governance and real estate.
Globally, institutions such as the OECD have long emphasized the need for cross-agency collaboration in tackling tax evasion and strengthening public finance. With Nigeria’s new tax laws set to take effect in 2026, stakeholders across industries — from real estate to technology — will be watching closely to see how these reforms reshape the investment landscape.
