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Customer Service Week: How FIRS Boss Put Nigerians First

Published

2 months ago

October 10, 2025

By Arabinrin Aderonke

This week has been Customer Service Week across the world, and as always, it is a time to celebrate customers and appreciate those who serve them. At the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the celebration has been full of colour, excitement, and unity. From themed dress days to fun activities, staff across the country took time to appreciate the people who make their work meaningful, the taxpayers.

But beyond the glamour and celebration, this year’s Customer Service Week has given everyone at FIRS another reason to reflect on the kind of leadership the agency has been blessed with. Since Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman, came on board, he has shown that leadership is not just about policy but about people, and when I say people, I mean the people of Nigeria. He has brought a human touch to tax administration and changed the way many Nigerians perceive the agency.

Today, FIRS is not just an agency collecting taxes across Nigeria; it is a people-driven institution that listens, understands, and responds. Through innovations such as the TaxProMax platform, electronic invoicing, and an active online presence, people and businesses can now file returns, make payments, or access information with ease. Every transaction is secured and verifiable through a unique Invoice Reference Number and QR code, while taxpayers without internet access can conveniently use the *829# USSD code to retrieve their TIN, verify tax clearance certificates, locate nearby offices, or make quick inquiries. It is now easy for anyone to pay taxes or ask questions, as FIRS experts are always ready to assist through the website, social media, or call centers.

The Tax Boss is a man who knows his onions and leads with direction and purpose. FIRS has built a strong culture of courtesy and service excellence. Staff are reminded that taxpayers are partners in progress and that respect, fairness, and timely service are necessary to good governance. This change has increased public trust and strengthened the agency’s reputation as a responsive institution. Today, if you ask ten Nigerians, nine will tell you they now understand taxes better and why they are important. We have never had it this good.

His calm confidence, intelligence, and people-first approach have changed the atmosphere within the Agency. Staff now take pride in serving, knowing that their work makes life easier for millions. Taxpayers, too, are beginning to see FIRS differently, not as a burden, but as an institution they can trust.

As this year’s Customer Service Week comes to an end, with the theme “Mission: Possible,” Nigerians can agree that Dr. Zacch has made it more than just a theme; he has made it our reality. He has shown that change is possible in public service. He leads by example, puts people first, and ensures that FIRS has become a true model of what responsive governance should look like.

At the end of the day, Dr. Zacch is a tactical leader whose results speak louder than words. What he has built at FIRS tells its own story. It is a system that works, a team that serves, and a nation that believes again. Nigerians can now see that the mission is truly possible.

Happy Customer Service Week to the Tax Boss, the entire FIRS team, and the ever-supportive taxpayers across Nigeria. Together, we keep building a better country for everyone.

Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi is the Technical Assistant, Broadcast Media to the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

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Over 50 CSOs Dismiss Corruption Allegations Against NMDPRA Boss Farouk Ahmed

Published

4 hours ago

December 16, 2025

The Gleamer

…Accuse Dangote of undermining regulatory independence

Over fifty Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Monday rose in strong defence of the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed, unanimously dismissing allegations of corruption levelled against him by Mr Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, as false, unfounded and unsupported by evidence.

The CSOs made their position known at a joint press conference in Abuja, where they described the allegations as a calculated attempt to discredit the leadership of the NMDPRA over its firm stance against monopolistic practices in Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sector.

Addressing journalists on behalf of the coalition, the Convener, Comrade Ibrahim Bello, who is also the National Coordinator of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CFTPI), said the organisations had conducted internal reviews and assessments and found no basis whatsoever for the claims of corruption against the NMDPRA boss.

“Our findings clearly show that Mr Farouk Ahmed has not engaged in any corrupt practice. Rather, he has been repositioning the downstream sector to promote fairness, competition and efficiency, while ensuring that no single entity monopolises the industry to the detriment of Nigerians,” Bello stated.

He added that the leadership of the NMDPRA under Ahmed has remained faithful to the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), strengthening regulatory transparency and creating opportunities for more investors to participate in the sector.

The coalition specifically debunked claims attributed to Mr Dangote that the NMDPRA CEO allegedly paid five million United States dollars ($5 million) as school fees for his children in Switzerland, stressing that no proof or verifiable evidence had been provided to substantiate such assertions.

According to the CSOs, making such grave allegations in the media without recourse to due process poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s regulatory institutions and reform agenda.

Prominent members of the coalition who endorsed the position include Hajiya Fatima Sani, Executive Director of Citizens Watch for Good Governance (CWGG); Barrister Chukwudi Eze, Chairman of the Accountability and Democratic Values Initiative (ADVI); Dr Mrs Ngozi Okeke, President of the Nigerian Coalition Against Corruption and Waste (NCACW); and Pastor Emmanuel Adebayo, General Secretary of the Voice of Conscience Foundation (VOCF).

Others are Mr Tunde Ogunleye, National Convener of the Integrity Monitors Network (IMN); Ms Chioma Nwosu, Chairperson of Patriots for Transparent Procurement (PTP); Comrade Aisha Yusuf, National Secretary of the Civil Liberties and Anti-Corruption Movement (CLACOM); and Engr. Musa Abdullahi, Director of Programmes at the Due Process Advocacy Network (DPAN).

Also lending their voices were Prof. Grace Adeyemi, Board Chair of the National Alliance for Ethical Leadership (NAEL); Mr Segun Olawale, Spokesperson for the Citizens Coalition for Open Governance (CCOG); Barr. (Mrs.) Funmi Adewole, Legal Adviser to the Justice and Accountability Project (JAP); and Alhaji Usman Danladi, Northern Coordinator of the Nigerian Integrity and Development Forum (NIDF).

Regional leaders present included Rev. Fr. Joseph Okon, South-South Zonal Chairman of the Public Funds Protection Movement (PFPM); Ms Bolanle Adeoti, Women Leader of Transparency and Responsibility Advocates (TRA); Elder Peter Okonkwo, South-East Coordinator of the Good Governance Monitors Assembly (GGMA); and Mallam Bello Yakubu, North-West Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Crusaders Network (ACCN), alongside representatives of several other organisations.

The CSOs argued that the sustained attacks on the NMDPRA leadership stem from its refusal to compromise regulatory standards or allow any company to dominate the petroleum downstream space.

“We believe these allegations are aimed at intimidating the regulator because of its insistence on fairness, competition and value for Nigerians,” the coalition said.

While reaffirming their commitment to transparency and accountability, the organisations urged individuals and corporate entities with genuine grievances to follow due process, rather than resorting to media trials.

They called on Nigerians to disregard the unproven allegations, urged stakeholders in the petroleum sector to respect regulatory institutions, and appealed to the Federal Government to continue supporting the independence and reform-driven leadership of the NMDPRA.

The coalition concluded by reaffirming its full confidence in Mr Farouk Ahmed, describing him as a regulator whose actions have strengthened credibility, boosted stakeholder confidence and safeguarded the national interest in Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum industry.

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