The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is adopting a forward-looking approach to tax administration, shifting from audit-heavy enforcement to a technology-led system that encourages voluntary compliance, transparency, and predictability in Nigeria’s tax environment.
This was revealed in a statement issued by Collins Omokaro, Special Adviser on Communications and Advocacy to FIRS Executive Chairman Zacch Adedeji, who said the new strategy aims to make tax compliance easier and more intuitive by design, not by force.
“While audits remain an essential part of the compliance toolkit, they are inherently backward-looking. They tell us what went wrong. What Nigeria needs now is a proactive system that prevents errors before they occur,” Omokaro said.
Under Adedeji’s leadership, FIRS is moving away from punitive, audit-led enforcement to a more strategic, system-based model that relies on automation, predictive tools, and standardized procedures to support both taxpayers and tax administrators.
“Technology allows us to move from fault-finding to foresight. Our focus is not merely enforcement it’s enablement,” Omokaro added. “We are building a tax system where compliance becomes the path of least resistance.”
At the heart of this transformation is a suite of digital tools designed to spot risks before they materialize, allowing for real-time adjustments and smarter interventions. The FIRS is also investing in both taxpayer education and internal capacity-building to ensure its staff operate within a rules-based, transparent system.
This overhaul comes as Nigeria faces urgent fiscal pressures and seeks to improve domestic revenue generation without overburdening citizens or businesses.
According to Omokaro, “We want a tax system that is efficient, equitable, and empowering—one that contributes to national development without creating friction.”
The FIRS’ new direction is not only about systems but also about rebuilding trust. The agency aims to foster a long-term culture of tax compliance through collaboration, clarity, and fairness.
“Audits will always have their place,” Omokaro noted, “but the future lies in sustained adherence a culture powered by technology, guided by process, and inspired by purpose.”
