Muhammad Mamman NamiChairman - FIRS
The FIRS is a federal agency responsible for assessing, collecting and accounting for taxes and other revenues accruing to the Federation. Its history dates back to 1943, when it was established to replace the Inland Revenue Department of British West Africa. Today, FIRS acts as an autonomous agency tasked with improving public service delivery, by ensuring timely and effi cient tax collection. FIRS plays an important role in maintaining and supporting economic growth and development. The Service had been working hard to make the tax payment process effi cient; substantial investment had been made into upgrading digital platforms. This initiative is timely considering the global coronavirus pandemic.
According to FIRS’ Executive Chairman Muhammad Nami: “Whether it’s the government or private sector, everyone has been looking inwards as to where they must invest in order to improve on effi ciency; the FIRS is not excepted. The Service has come to understand that, instead of moving from one taxpayer to another to request for paper forms, the task could be more effi ciently carried out with just a few strokes on the computer console. This portends a bright future for government’s revenue profi le; whether or not oil bounces back,” he explained.