Yemi Obafemi
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has clarified that the ongoing electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) project is not solely its initiative, but a comprehensive Federal Government programme involving multiple government agencies.
This clarification was made by the Acting Director of Tax Automation at FIRS, Mike Adoga, during a two-day stakeholder engagement on the National E-Invoicing Project, which concluded recently in Lagos.
Adoga explained that while FIRS is leading the implementation of the project, it operates under a multi-agency framework coordinated by a steering committee. He listed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the Federal Ministry of Finance, and other key government bodies as part of the collaborative effort driving the initiative.
“This e-invoicing project is a Federal Government project. A whole lot of agencies — the CBN, NITDA, Ministry of Finance, and many others — are involved,” he said. “FIRS is the agency driving it because it has to sit somewhere and be driven. But it is not an FIRS initiative alone.”
He added that NITDA, the agency responsible for regulating Nigeria’s technology ecosystem, plays a significant role in the project. A steering committee comprising all relevant agencies has also been established to ensure seamless coordination and implementation.
Adoga further assured stakeholders that the e-invoicing initiative is in full compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Act, stressing that all taxpayer data collected and processed for tax purposes will remain confidential.
“I want you to rest assured that we are guided by the Nigerian Data Protection Act, and that all data passed for tax purposes remains confidential under the electronic invoicing initiative,” he said.
The e-invoicing project is part of the government’s broader strategy to enhance transparency, improve tax compliance, and boost revenue generation by leveraging digital tools and inter-agency collaboration.
