Revenue Harmonization: FCT-IRS, NRS Push For Efficient Tax Collection

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service, FCT- IRS, has organised a landmark stakeholders’ engagement forum themed “Harmonizing Revenue Systems and Implementing New Tax Laws”.

On the occasion, top revenue chiefs outlined bold visions to streamline tax administration in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that aligns with national fiscal reforms.

The Executive Chairman of the FCT-IRS, Mr Michael Ango, and the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr. Zach Adedeji emphasized that harmonization as a core focus is a drive for efficiency.

“We are creating a system where revenue grows as constitutionally mandated, but collection becomes seamless,” he stated.

With the FCT marking 50 years since its conceptualization in 1976, Ango stressed the urgency of infrastructural funding.

He praised the FCT Minister, Dr Nyesom Wike, for driving investments in roads, hospitals, and schools, while noting that the FCT-IRS role is to ensure sustainable revenue to support these projects.

On timelines for domesticating the new tax laws, Ango assured stakeholders that collaboration with the legislature was ongoing.

He also dismissed claims of excessive FCT revenue, revealing a fivefold increase in collections in early 2026 compared to 2025, but maintaned, “Revenue is never enough.”

On overlapping taxes, he confirmed that Wike-led initiatives are resolving conflicts among FCT stakeholders, with the FCT-IRS at the forefront.

The NRS Executive Chairman, Dr. Adedeji, who presented President Bola Tinubu’s fiscal agenda, described the forum as “timely and strategic.”

He stressed the need for policy coherence and inter-agency collaboration, warning that fragmented systems “undermine compliance and raise business costs.”

Major key proposals from the forum include integrated databases, e-payment platforms, and real-time analytics to curb leakages.

Adedeji hailed the new harmonization laws as tools to eliminate the multiplicity of taxes, particularly for SMEs, and urged subnational authorities to domesticate these reforms.

“Revenue mobilization must be rules-based and transparent,” he asserted, commending the FCT Minister and FCT-IRS for fostering dialogue.

The two chairmen agreed that harmonization hinges on legislative clarity, technology, and stakeholder buy-in, and expressed hope that the forum’s outcomes would set a benchmark for Nigeria’s fiscal future, where efficiency is the Hall mark.

Remi Johnson, Edited By Grace Namiji