Technology is Key to Our New Tax Laws — Zacch Adedeji
By Patience Ikpeme
The Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, has stated that technology is the most important tool for making Nigeria’s new tax laws work. He noted that the days of using paper and manual methods to collect taxes are coming to an end, as the country moves toward a digital system.
According to a statement issued by his Technical Assistant on Print Media, Sikiru Akinola, the NRS boss shared this on Wednesday while giving a lecture at the first-ever graduation ceremony of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, in Oyo State. He explained that although people talk about the new laws as just legal changes, they are actually a total makeover of how taxes are handled in Nigeria.
“Nigeria has recently enacted a new set of tax laws, representing the most significant restructuring of our nation’s fiscal legislation in 50 years,” Adedeji said. He described the change as a “structural overhaul” that moves the country from simple tax collection to “tax intelligence.”
The tax boss pointed out that the new laws were designed specifically for a digital world. He said they rely on things like having a proper ID for every taxpayer, connecting data between different government offices, and making sure every transaction can be tracked.
“In other words, these laws are built for a digital environment. They cannot function properly in a manual, fragmented, paper-based system. Without technology, the laws remain aspirational. With technology, they become operational,” he added.
Adedeji also spoke about how the old way of doing things relied too much on the personal choices of tax officers. He noted that while having some choice isn’t always bad, too much of it can lead to confusion and make people stop trusting the system. By using technology, the NRS hopes to make tax collection fairer and more consistent for everyone.
One of the biggest benefits of this digital move, according to the Chairman, is that the government can collect more money without having to increase the tax rates.
“One of the most important prospects of a technology-driven tax administration is the ability to expand the tax base without increasing tax rates. This matters deeply in a society where citizens already feel overburdened,” Adedeji said. He explained that when technology makes it easier to see all business activities, the burden is shared more fairly among more people.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass, who was represented by Senator AbdulFatai Buhari, also spoke at the event. He praised Adedeji for his hard work in changing the way taxes are collected in the country and encouraged the graduating students to keep learning and be good representatives of their school.
The Rector of the institution, Dr. Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed, also urged the students to follow the footsteps of the NRS Chairman, noting that Adedeji himself started his educational journey from a polytechnic.
