The President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has appointed a new Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Head.
President Tinubu approved the appointment of Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, Zach Adedeji as the new Chairman of the FIRS on Thursday, September 14.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale.
The outgoing FIRS head, Muhammad Nami, has been directed to go on a three-month pre-retirement leave, according to the Public Service Rule (PSR) 120243.
Nami’s retirement leave will lead to his constitutional retirement from the FIRS by December 8.
The president’s spokesman added that the appointment of the new FIRS head takes immediate effect according to the directives of the president.
The statement added, “Hon. Zacch Adedeji is hereby appointed in acting capacity for a 90-day period before his subsequent confirmation as the substantive Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service for a term of four (4) years in the first instance.
“Hon. Zacch Adedeji is a first-class graduate in accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University. He most recently served the nation as the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, following meritorious service terms as the Oyo State Commissioner of Finance and as the Executive Secretary / CEO of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).”
President Tinubu in July had announced plans to double the nation’s revenue within three years.
Speaking on a television programme, the former special adviser to President Tinubu, new FIRS head Adedeji, said the target would be met using technology and data without raising taxes.
“It is true that Nigeria has a revenue problem. Our revenue to GDP ratio is almost the lowest in Africa and by extension in the world.
“We have identified multiple taxes, multiple generation agencies and collection, lack of data, and lack of technology among others, that confront our ability to actually generate what we need. And we have plans to resolve all of them.”
He reiterated that Tinubu’s goal was to unveil a sound economic programme that would lead to shared prosperity.