The Senate has cleared president Boka Tinubu’s nominee Mr. Zak Adedeji for the position of Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
While undergoing screening before the Senate, Adedeji emphasized on his vision for developing the country’s revenue, with a particular focus on addressing information gaps in the oil and gas sector.
Mr. Adedeji expressed a commitment to improving tax collection by addressing revenue leakages. He said that one of the core challenges facing Nigeria is the lack of accurate and comprehensive data. To tackle this, he plans to develop a robust data infrastructure to support informed decision-making.
He highlighted the need for accurate data in the oil and gas sector, where much of Nigeria’s revenue is derived. He aims to establish a system that tracks the number of crude oil vessels entering the country and calculates the associated taxes. This data according to him,will help identify individuals or entities with significant wealth who may be underreporting their tax contributions.
In addition to data collection, Adedeji pledged to centralize the identification system in Nigeria. This move is expected to enhance the country’s data mining capabilities, providing a more comprehensive and accurate picture of the nation’s economic landscape. Centralized identification can aid in identifying taxpayers, streamlining tax collection, and reducing tax evasion.
Mr. Zak Adedeji’s confirmation as FIRS Chairman comes more than a month after his appointment by President Bola Tinubu. Prior to this, President Tinubu had directed the former FIRS Chairman, Muhammad Nami, to take a three-month pre-retirement leave. The President subsequently submitted Adedeji’s nomination to the Senate for confirmation.
