The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced a deeper collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as part of renewed efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s tax compliance framework and safeguard public revenue.

The FIRS Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, disclosed this on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

The visit comes as Nigeria prepares to implement newly signed Tax Acts that will transform the FIRS into the Nigerian Revenue Service, effective January 2026.

Adedeji explained that the partnership with EFCC is crucial for building a culture of voluntary tax compliance while also ensuring deterrence against tax evasion.



According to Adedeji, pursuing individual taxpayers across the country would be impractical without systemic enforcement structures.

He stressed the importance of inter-agency cooperation, noting that the EFCC’s enforcement authority would provide a strong deterrent.

“We cannot pursue 200 million Nigerians individually to do the right thing, but we want to put a system in place that will aid compliance,” Adedeji said.

“You can help us by letting people know that when they violate the law, there is a place you can keep them.

On behalf of the President and Nigerians, we thank you for your support and seek even deeper cooperation.”

He added that citizens would only embrace compliance when they saw tangible improvements funded by taxes.

“The main advertisement of voluntary compliance is when people begin to see what we use the money we collect for,” he noted, while urging the EFCC to also support the FIRS Department of Fraud Risk, Assessment and Control to ensure value for money.



The collaboration between the two agencies builds on Nigeria’s recent success in meeting its 2025 revenue target earlier than expected.

President Bola Tinubu had disclosed last week that the government collected about N20 trillion in revenue by August, with the bulk generated from non-oil sources.

Adedeji credited this achievement to preventive strategies and inter-agency partnerships.

“This was a collective effort, not one by FIRS alone,” he said.

The development underscores the Tinubu administration’s broader agenda of diversifying Nigeria’s revenue base away from oil dependence, with stronger emphasis on tax reforms and enforcement.


In his remarks, EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, assured the FIRS of continuous collaboration, stressing that the involvement of the anti-graft body would send a clear message to potential defaulters.

“Collaboration is key. When they see EFCC beside FIRS, that will send a signal to the public that it is no longer business as usual,” Olukoyede stated.

He also cited a recent Court of Appeal judgment affirming the EFCC’s authority to investigate tax fraud, describing it as a major boost to the commission’s mandate.

“We are not assessors of tax liabilities, but we can investigate non-compliance and push assessment issues back to you.

Our duty remains the prevention, investigation and prosecution of financial crimes. Synergy is therefore essential,” he added.


Tax analysts have welcomed the partnership, describing it as timely. Dr. Tunde Akinyemi, a tax consultant based in Lagos, said:

“Nigeria has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in Africa, at just about 10%.

Strengthening enforcement with EFCC will likely boost compliance, but the government must also ensure transparency in how revenue is utilized to win citizens’ trust.”



Similarly, business groups have urged the FIRS to balance enforcement with taxpayer education, warning that aggressive crackdowns without adequate sensitization could discourage small businesses from formalizing their operations.



With the Nigerian Revenue Service reforms set to take effect in January 2026, the partnership between FIRS and EFCC is expected to form a central pillar of the government’s fiscal strategy.

Both agencies have pledged to consolidate their relationship, reinforcing preventive measures, enforcement, and voluntary compliance as critical tools for improving Nigeria’s revenue generation.

If successful, the move could not only boost government income but also strengthen Nigeria’s financial stability and reduce reliance on external borrowing.