By Sofiyyah Layole
The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zach Adedeji has emphasized that continental cooperation is essential to expand narrow tax bases and effectively address the dominance of informal economies that challenge revenue collection in many African states.
Adedeji spoke on Tuesday when he hosted a delegation led by the Executive Secretary of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), Mary Baine, at the FIRS Headquarters in Abuja.
During the meeting, the ATAF team commended Nigeria’s ongoing tax reforms, noting that they align with ATAF’s mission of developing Africa specific solutions to boost revenue mobilization.
In response, Dr. Adedeji reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for ATAF, stressing the importance of collaboration in policy harmonisation, training, and research to address challenges such as narrow tax bases, the dominance of informal economies, and illicit financial flows.
Discussions also focused on ATAF’s initiatives to combat Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), enhance transfer pricing frameworks, and push for fair taxation of the digital economy.
Both sides agreed that building transparent and people-centred tax systems is critical not only for fiscal stability but also for funding vital social and economic development across Africa.
