Technology Key to Success of New Tax Laws in Nigeria, Says NRS Chairman Adedeji

Technology Key to Success of New Tax Laws in Nigeria, Says NRS Chairman Adedeji

The Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, has emphasised that technology will play a decisive role in the successful implementation of Nigeria’s newly enacted tax laws.

Adedeji made this known 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 identified infrastructure deficits, skills gaps, trust issues, and resistance to change as some of the fundamental challenges confronting the nation’s tax system.

Delivering a lecture titled, “The Role of Technology in Implementing Nigeria’s New Tax Laws: Challenges, Prospects, and Implications for National Development,” Adedeji described the recently enacted tax laws as the most significant restructuring of Nigeria’s fiscal legislation in five decades.

He noted that while the reforms are widely viewed as legal adjustments, they represent a deeper structural transformation of the tax system.

“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.

According to him, the new tax framework presupposes the existence of reliable taxpayer identification systems, integrated institutional data, traceable transactions, automated processes, and scalable enforcement mechanisms.

“In other words, these laws are built for a digital environment. They cannot function properly in a manual, fragmented, paper-based system. The implication is clear: without technology, the laws remain aspirational. With technology, they become operational,” Adedeji stated.

He explained that the transition to a technology-driven system is central to the mandate of the NRS under the new legal framework, noting that excessive human discretion in tax administration had historically led to inconsistency, mistrust, and non-compliance.

Adedeji further highlighted that technology would help expand the tax base without raising tax rates, thereby easing the burden on compliant taxpayers.

“By improving visibility and bringing previously unseen economic activity into view, technology levels the playing field. When compliance broadens, the pressure on the existing base reduces, fairness improves, and legitimacy grows. This is how modern tax systems grow revenue sustainably,” he added.

In his remarks, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, urged the graduating students to be worthy ambassadors of the institution and to continue pursuing knowledge. Abbas was represented at the event by the senator representing Oyo North, AbdulFatai Buhari, who also commended Adedeji for spearheading reforms in Nigeria’s tax administration.

Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, Yakubu Datti, praised the NRS chairman for leading the re-engineering of Nigeria’s tax architecture.

Similarly, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed, encouraged the graduating students to emulate Adedeji, noting that he began his academic journey at a polytechnic.