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Zacch Adedeji on a mission with people-centric reforms

Published

2 months ago

August 13, 2025

By Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is becoming more than a government agency. It is not today that we have been saying this, and it will not stop today or anytime soon. It is now being recognised as a partner in national development, driven by reforms that place people at the center and deliver measurable results.

Over the past months, the leadership of Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman, FIRS, has introduced a series of people-focused changes that have shown a tangible impact on our revenue system and the economy at large.

His work has been based on practical reforms in tax law, improved welfare for staff and citizens, the adoption of technology to streamline processes, stronger teamwork across departments, and a leadership style grounded in clarity, accountability, and measurable outcomes.

Just this August, the agency launched an electronic invoicing system for companies with an annual turnover of five billion naira or more. It went live on the first day of the month, and by the second week, about a thousand companies had already joined. Organizations like MTN, Huawei, and IHS are on board. Others have until November 1 to comply. The process is firm, but the rollout has been managed carefully, giving companies enough time to adjust without disruption.

The effects are already showing. Afri Invoice, a local Nigerian company that provides e-invoicing solutions, has created 150 new jobs in seven states to meet the demand. It may seem small, but it serves as proof that one effective policy can open the door to more jobs and economic growth.

Not long after, on August 7, FIRS held its first Research Day. It was not an event for long talks but a day of action and openness. Three (3) main resources were made public. The first was the Tax Revenue Statistical Bulletin, containing more than fifty years of tax data from 1970 to 2022. The second was the official Research Policy, which sets out a framework for conducting transparent and high-quality studies.

The third was the latest volume of the FIRS Journal of Tax Studies, now available online. These materials are open to researchers, journalists, students, policymakers, and anyone who wants to understand our tax history and the direction we are headed.

Step by step, these reforms show that when leadership is focused on people and guided by data, institutions can transform. The work being done at FIRS today is building not only better systems but also trust between the government and the people it serves.

Let’s not forget that under the Tax Boss, tax education and public engagement have also taken a new shape. FIRS has stepped up its outreach to small and medium enterprises, offering guidance on compliance and breaking down processes that once felt complicated and far removed from the everyday business owner.

The agency has also strengthened partnerships with state revenue services, ensuring that both federal and state systems work together rather than compete.

Capacity building for staff has been prioritised, with training programs designed to give them the skills and tools to meet modern tax administration demands. In addition, reforms in dispute resolution have made it faster and easier for taxpayers to settle issues without lengthy court battles, promoting a more cooperative relationship between the agency and the general public. Digital platforms have been improved, meaning that many taxpayers can now register, file, and pay from the comfort of their offices or homes.

Sometimes, you stop and wonder how one person can have so much vision while truly keeping the needs of people in mind. Dr. Zacch understands difficult challenges but never loses sight of those who live them every day. His efforts are effective, making changes that touch many lives.

The progress seen today comes from thoughtful decisions and a commitment to serve others. In a country where many lead for themselves, he leads for the people. When you think about leadership that combines critical thinking with care, the answer is not far-fetched. It can only be him.

Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi is the technical assistant on broadcast media to the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service Contact@arabinrinaderonke.com

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Tin City Warms Up for President Tinubu as North Central Embraces Renewed Hope

Published

1 day ago

October 4, 2025

The Gleamer

By Sunday Dare

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu berths on the plains and rolling hills that dominate the Jos landscape tomorrow, he will meet a people resourceful, friendly and resilient but weighed down by conflict, yet unbowed by adversity.

So, tommorrow, national attention turns to the Plateau- a locale laden with history and rich with potential. From the tin mines that gave the city of Jos its name, to the Irish potato, strawberry farms and beetroot plantations that dot its landscape, Jos remains a land of promise—truly the Home of Peace and Tourism.

Jos is also deeply woven into Nigeria’s political history. Plateau is home to towering figures such as Generals JD Gomwalk, Yakubu Gowon, John Shagaya, Joshua Dogoyaro, and Jerry Useni. Solomon Lar, Senator Ibrahim Mantu and numerous others also stand tall in the annals Plateau political history.

Jos was also the rallying ground of the famed Langtang Mafia—a group of influential military officers from Langtang in Plateau State who, at the height of their power, played a significant role in Nigeria’s political and military affairs.

The story of Jos is both exciting and excruciating. The city lost its innocence some two and a half decades ago, when the popular Terminus Market was reduced to rubble through acts of arson and looting.

Thus at the turn of the millennium by 2001, Jos—and by extension, Plateau—was thrown into a cycle of unending conflict. Ethnic tensions, clothed in religious garb, tore through the city and spread across the state, dragging Jos into an abyss of violence, almost of Kigali proportions. Peace gave way to war, and tourism jaunts became undertakings to the undertaker.

Yet Jos has never surrendered. Every time it is written off, it rises again—scarred, but resilient. With its multi-ethnic, multi-religious fabric, the Plateau continues to trudge on in pursuit of peace, development, and egalitarian ideals.

It was here, in Jos, that Nigeria’s democratic resurgence was birthed. The historic SDP convention, where late General Shehu Yar’Adua and Chief Moshood Abiola held sway, took place in this city. Jos gave political life to Abiola, our hero of democracy in 1992

Now, thirty three years later, another hero of democracy and of the June 12 struggle returns to the Plateau. President Tinubu’s return and visit to Plateau State is not just to honor the transition to glory of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, the mother of the APC National Chairman.

It is a visit that carries deeper meaning—one of empathy, solidarity, and renewed hope for a people who have endured decades of turmoil. It is a mission to preach peace, console the bereaved, bind wounds, and assure Plateau of its central place in the Nigerian project.

Mr President comes not just to mourn, but to reconnect. He comes to parley with the North Central, to commiserate with a people who have suffered, and to extend the hand of renewed hope. That Renewed Hope is laying a solid foundation as evidenced by Naira at N1,455 per dollar, rising Foreign Reserves at $43bn, Trade surplus heading for N25tr. Revenues up 411% and Inflation down to about 20 per cent. Over 600,000 students benefiting from NELFUND.

This visit is more than ceremonial. It is a journey into the very soul of a people who have known pain, yet remain resilient; a land scarred by conflict, yet still brimming with hope and promise. As the Tin City opens its arms, Jos will not just receive the President—it will receive a message of solidarity, healing, and renewal.

Tomorrow is about remembering the glorious past, confronting the present, and charting a path to a peaceful and prosperous Plateau within a united Nigeria. With President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Jos once again stands at the intersection of history and destiny.

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