KEY POINTS
- FIRS introduces new research policy and data resources.
- Chairman Adedeji urges integration of research into tax administration.
- Initiative also aims to strengthen revenue collection and accountability.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is doing research to help Nigeria’s tax policies get better. They want to make it easy for people to follow the rules and make the country’s money stronger.
The initiative was unveiled at the first FIRS Research Day in Abuja, where Executive Chairman Dr. Zacch Adedeji stressed that evidence-based policy is essential for national development. He joined Halima Shehu, Director of Research and Statistics; Prof. Aisha Mahmoud Hamman, Special Adviser on Research & Statistics; also Prof. Mohammed Adaya Salisu, Chief Economic Adviser.
FIRS new tools to guide tax policy
At the event, FIRS rolled out three major projects: the FIRS Research Policy Document, the Tax Revenue Statistical Bulletin (1970–2022), and Volume 4 of the FIRS Journal of Tax Studies, now accessible online at www.fjts.online.
“These resources provide the data and analytical frameworks we need to design smarter tax policies,” Dr. Adedeji said. “Without research, we risk working in the dark; with it, we shine a light on the path ahead. Every question we ask, every data point we analyse, and every policy we shape brings Nigeria closer to prosperity.”
Halima Shehu described the launch as “a new beginning, not just a commemoration,” underscoring that research and reliable data are “not optional, but they are essential.”
Aligning tax reforms with a changing global economy
Professors Hamman and Salisu said that the project is happening at a time when tax systems all around the world are changing to keep up with changes in business, technology, and the global economy.
They said that include research in every step of crafting policy will help FIRS see problems coming, stop income losses, also get more people to follow the rules.
They further claimed that the Research Day is a big step toward creating a better and more creative tax system that will bring in more money, be more open, and help the country thrive in a way that lasts.
