The Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, has identified technology as the cornerstone for implementing Nigeria’s newly enacted tax laws, describing the reforms as a structural overhaul of the country’s fiscal system.
Adedeji spoke on Wednesday while delivering the maiden convocation lecture of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, in Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo State.
In a statement issued by his Technical Assistant on Print Media, Sikiru Akinola, the NRS boss said Nigeria’s new tax legislation represents the most significant restructuring of fiscal laws in five decades.
He stressed that the reforms go beyond adjustments to tax rates or administrative powers, signaling a fundamental shift in how authority operates within the tax system.
According to him, the new laws are designed for a digital ecosystem and cannot function effectively within a manual, fragmented, paper-based structure.
“These laws are not merely changing rates, definitions, or administrative powers. They are quietly redefining how authority operates within the tax system. This is a complete structural overhaul, signaling the end of tax collection as a manual task and the beginning of tax intelligence,” he said.
Adedeji explained that the legislation presupposes reliable taxpayer identification systems, integrated institutional data, traceable transactions, automated processes, and scalable enforcement mechanisms. Without technological infrastructure, he warned, the reforms would remain aspirational.
The NRS chairman listed infrastructure gaps, limited technical skills, public trust deficits, and resistance to change as major challenges confronting tax administration.
He assured that ongoing efforts to upgrade Nigeria’s tax system into a fully digital environment would address these obstacles.
Adedeji further argued that a technology-driven tax administration would reduce excessive human discretion, which often breeds inconsistency and mistrust, thereby encouraging voluntary compliance.
“One of the most important prospects of a technology-driven tax administration is the ability to expand the tax base without increasing tax rates,” Adedeji noted, adding that enhanced visibility of economic activities would improve fairness, reduce pressure on compliant taxpayers, and promote sustainable revenue growth.
In his remarks, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass, urged the graduating students to remain committed to lifelong learning and serve as worthy ambassadors of the institution. Abass, represented by Senator AbdulFatai Buhari of Oyo North, also commended Adedeji for spearheading reforms in Nigeria’s tax administration.
Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, Yakubu Datti, praised the NRS chief for leading the re-engineering of Nigeria’s tax architecture.
The Rector, Dr. Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed, encouraged graduates to draw inspiration from Adedeji’s career trajectory, noting that he began his academic journey at a polytechnic.
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