FIRS DISMISSES ATIKU CLAIMS, INSISTS NO FIRM HAS TSA MONOPOLY

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has dismissed allegations by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that a private firm, Xpress Payments, has been granted exclusive rights in Nigeria’s national revenue-collection system.

In a statement issued by Aderonke Atoyebi, Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the FIRS Executive Chairman, the agency described Atiku’s claims as “incorrect, misleading, and capable of unnecessarily politicising a purely administrative and technical process.”

The FIRS clarified that it does not operate a single-gateway channel for collecting government revenues and stressed that no company has monopoly or privileged control over the process.

According to the statement, the FIRS currently uses a multi-channel, multi-Payment Solution Service Provider (PSSP) framework, which includes platforms such as Quickteller, Remita, Etranzact, Flutterwave, and XpressPay.

“These PSSPs are part of a transparent and competitive ecosystem designed to make tax payment easier and more efficient for Nigerians nationwide,” the agency said, adding that the service providers are not designated as collection agents and do not earn processing fees or percentages from government revenues.

All payments made through the platforms, the FIRS emphasised, go directly into the Federation Account without diversion, intermediaries, or private control.

Atoyebi highlighted key features of the current collection framework, including the deliberate expansion to allow multiple PSSPs, improved monitoring for better accountability, and increased opportunities in the fintech sector through innovation and competition. She noted that onboarding of PSSPs follows a clear and verifiable process ensuring fairness and equal opportunity for all operators.

The agency also stressed that ongoing national tax reforms under the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms are central to Nigeria’s economic modernisation and should not be politicised.

“The reform has come to stay and should not be subjected to mischaracterisation for political gain,” the statement read, urging political actors, including Atiku, to avoid spreading misinformation or raising unnecessary alarm around routine administrative procedures.

FIRS reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism, transparency, and the continuous strengthening of Nigeria’s revenue-collection system for the benefit of all citizens.