The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has called for deeper collaboration with security agencies to strengthen tax enforcement and safeguard national revenue assets ahead of the commencement of the National Revenue Service (NRS) Act on January 1, 2026.
The call was made in Lagos on Tuesday during a stakeholder engagement with multiple security agencies.
Speaking at the event, the Head of the Special Enforcement Division of FIRS, CSP Kyes Bakfur, said effective tax enforcement is largely dependent on inter-agency cooperation, intelligence sharing and coordinated field operations.
Bakfur noted that the Special Enforcement Division has, over the years, played a critical role in protecting FIRS facilities nationwide, investigating tax-related criminal offences and executing operations that support revenue recovery.
“This year alone, our division has successfully executed enforcement operations that contributed to the broader revenue collection effort of FIRS,” he said.
He explained that the engagement was convened to strengthen operational synergy with agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Federal Special Unit (FSU), particularly as tax enforcement increasingly requires shared intelligence and joint actions.
“Our expectation is a much more symbiotic association or relationship,” Bakfur told reporters after the meeting.
According to him, “The main aim of this parley was to ensure that security agencies and other institutions involved in tackling tax evasion can work together to create a much more robust national tax enforcement framework.”
He added that with the approaching implementation of the NRS Act, enhanced collaboration will be critical to tackling tax evasion, protecting revenue infrastructure and improving overall compliance across Nigeria.
