IMF HAILS FIRS ON TAX REFORM PROGRESS, PLEDGES MORE SUPPORT
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has commended the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for what it described as significant strides in tax administration, following sweeping reforms and enhanced performance under its current leadership.
Speaking at the IMF-supported Headquarters Mission to the FIRS in Abuja on Wednesday, Paulo Paz, a senior economist with the Fiscal Affairs Department of the global institution, praised the revenue agency for its commitment to efficient service delivery, describing its work as commendable and impactful.
“We recognise the very good work that FIRS has been providing to the citizens of Nigeria,” Paz stated. “The new tax laws present both an opportunity and a challenge, and we are here to support the agency in this new phase.”
The visit, according to a statement from Dare Adekanmbi, Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, was part of an ongoing technical engagement between the IMF and FIRS aimed at bolstering the agency’s capacity, especially in the face of newly enacted tax legislation.
Paz reaffirmed the IMF’s readiness to deepen its support as Nigeria implements transformative fiscal reforms that are expected to broaden the tax net and enhance revenue mobilization.
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Adedeji, who was represented at the meeting by his Chief of Staff, Tayo Koleosho, expressed appreciation for the IMF’s continued partnership. He highlighted key areas of collaboration, including digital transformation, VAT automation, and portfolio compliance initiatives.
He also noted that the partnership will extend as FIRS transitions into the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) in 2026, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s broader fiscal reform agenda.
Coordinating Director of the Corporate Services Group, Bolaji Akintola, described the IMF as a “critical stakeholder” in FIRS’ journey towards achieving institutional excellence. She pointed to two systemic evaluations conducted in 2018 and 2023 using the Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool (TADAT), noting marked improvements in the agency’s performance indicators over the years.
“Post-TADAT missions have helped us develop reform roadmaps to correct systemic weaknesses. If another assessment is done today, we are confident the results will surpass those of 2023,” she added.
Akintola also stressed that several previously weak indicators have now been addressed, with many codified in the four new tax laws recently signed by President Tinubu.
The engagement between FIRS and the IMF underscores growing international confidence in Nigeria’s tax reform trajectory and the country’s renewed commitment to sustainable domestic revenue mobilization.
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