The Federal Internal Income Service (FIRS) and the Commission of Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) have renewed their commitment to deepen collaboration in an attempt to strengthen the framework of fiscal compliance with Nigeria and safeguard public income.
The development marks another step in the impulse of the government to stop leaks and promote compliance with voluntary taxes between citizens and companies.
During a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja on Tuesday, September 9, the executive president of FIRS, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, stressed the need for cooperation between agencies to maintain financial stability and generate public confidence in the Tax System of the Nation.
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“We cannot persecute 200 million Nigerians individually to do the right thing, but we want to establish a system that helps compliance,” said Addeji. “It can help us informing people that when they violate the law, there is a place where you can keep them. On behalf of the president and the Nigerians, we thank you for their support and seek even deeper cooperation.”
ADEDEJI emphasized that the most effective driver of voluntary compliance was visible evidence of how tax revenues were used.
According to him, when taxpayers see government investments in infrastructure, medical care and tax funded education, they are more inclined to fulfill.
“The main announcement of voluntary compliance is when people begin to see what we use the money we collect. By achieving that goal, you are critical, not only to stop the delinquent but by supporting our department of risk, evaluation and control of fraud to guarantee the value for money,” he said.
The FIRS chief also highlighted the role of preventive strategies and associations to achieve Nigeria’s income objectives.
He pointed out that the recent success of the agency to fulfill its income objective was not a unilateral achievement, but the product of collective efforts with application partners such as EFCC.
In his response, the President of EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, reaffirmed the provision of the commission to work closely with FIR to enforce compliance. He argued that such collaboration would send a strong deterrent message to possible delinquent.
“The collaboration is very key. When they see EFCC with FIRS, that will send a signal to the public that is no longer commercial as usual,” said Olukoyede.
He also caught attention to a recent judgment of the Court of Appeals affirmed by the EFCC authority to investigate tax -related fraud. When describing the ruling as a great impulse, Olukoyede explained that although the EFCC was not responsible for evaluating tax obligations, it had the legal power to investigate cases of breach and deliver evaluation problems to FIRS.
“Our duty remains prevention, investigation and prosecution of financial crimes. Therefore, synergy is essential,” he said.
The renewed association between FIRS and EFCC arrives at a time when Nigeria is dealing with the decrease in oil income and the increase in tax pressures, which makes the efficient tax administration an cornerstone of the government’s economic strategy.
Experts argue that strengthening compliance not only expands the tax base, but also reduces loans to finance the national budget.
Both leaders promised to consolidate their employment relationship, with a shared approach in preventive measures, application and voluntary compliance as the backbone of the Nigeria fiscal system.
For taxpayers, the message is clear: compliance is not optional, and the lack of compliance with obligations could now come with more severe consequences.
The collaboration indicates a stronger institutional front against tax evasion and financial crimes, aligning with wider government reforms aimed at guaranteeing responsibility and improving public finance management..
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