Is Zacch Adedeji Building Bridges for Nigeria’s Revenue Future? By Yushau A. Shuaib
Yunusa Abdullahi, consummate writer, analyst, and author of “Live Before You Leave” and “The Nigeria of My Dream,” often spoke glowingly of his boss at the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).
A former media aide to a governor, Yunusa later became the pioneer editor of PRNigeria before moving on to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) as spokesperson. He once invited me to a media session with his boss, Mr. Zacch Adedeji, whom he described as a focused and forward-looking leader. In just one year as Executive Secretary of the NSDC in 2022, Adedeji introduced democratic leadership, innovative reforms, and people-centered policies. He respected the legacies of his predecessors, building on existing structures rather than dismantling them. He also enhanced staff welfare, created a positive work environment, advanced sugar self-sufficiency, and ensured industry compliance with the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan and its Backward Integration Programme.
So, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed him as Revenue Adviser in 2023, Yunusa, within an hour, penned an insightful brief on his boss’s background. A chartered accountant, Adedeji graduated with First Class honours in Management and Accounting, earned a Master’s degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, and completed an executive programme at Harvard Kennedy School. His career achievements, especially as Oyo State’s Commissioner for Finance where he boosted internally generated revenue, positioned him as a technocrat well-suited to strengthen Nigeria’s fiscal discipline.
Barely three months later, Adedeji faced his toughest challenge yet when he was appointed Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). He wasted no time in proposing bold and aggressive tax reforms that immediately sparked nationwide debate.
Among them was the replacement of FIRS with a new National Revenue Service (NRS), designed to centralize all government revenue collection—including oil, customs, and port revenues. While the goal was to streamline processes and eliminate leakages, critics feared it would concentrate excessive power in one institution, rivaling the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
Northern governors resisted the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) formula that allocated revenues based on company headquarters rather consumption. They argued the policy would benefit Lagos and Rivers disproportionately while hurting northern states with high consumption but few corporate head offices.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly in the South-East, raised concerns over compliance burdens despite the reforms raising the threshold for company income tax from ₦25 million to ₦50 million. Social media further fueled misinformation, prompting clarifications that the new regime would protect low-income earners and foster fairness.
Although the National Economic Council (NEC) advised that the bills be withdrawn for wider consultations, President Tinubu opted to proceed with legislative review and public hearings to incorporate feedback.
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To many observers, Adedeji initially appeared aloof and combative. Yet, while criticisms mounted, he refrained from public quarrels, instead quietly engaging stakeholders behind the scenes, often through trusted intermediaries.
I personally witnessed some of these Chatham House-style sessions, including the one hosted by Taiwo Oyedele, the Chairperson of Nigeria’s Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, where stakeholders’ fears were addressed. Adedeji emphasized that the reforms were not designed to stifle businesses but to simplify taxation, plug loopholes, and ensure equity. His strategy was straightforward but profound: build understanding first, legislate later.
This approach contrasted sharply with previous reform attempts, where stakeholders were often kept in the dark until policies were rolled out. Adedeji chose the harder but wiser path—nationwide consultations. He met business leaders, tax professionals, policymakers, and the organised private sector, listening carefully and adjusting policies accordingly.
As Olayinka Akintunde, a former Economic Confidential editor, told me, this proactive engagement built trust: “Adedeji demystified the tax reforms, showing that reform was about creating a fair, transparent, and efficient system, not imposing burdens.”
Adedeji also recognised that taxation cannot thrive without security. For businesses to operate and taxpayers to comply, stability is essential. This understanding informed his outreach to the military and security agencies. His meetings with Chief of Defence Staff General Chris Musa and other security chiefs underscored the need for safe environments where businesses and taxable activities can flourish.
Equally strategic was his collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) under Comptroller General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi. Since customs duties, levies, and trade operations are integral to revenue administration, harmonising FIRS and NCS functions became indispensable. Adedeji’s push for alignment was aimed at eliminating duplication, facilitating trade, and boosting efficiency at the borders.
What sets Adedeji apart is his rare ability to act as a bridge builder. He connects policymakers and businesses, revenue authorities and enforcement agencies, government and citizens. In an era of economic hardship and widespread distrust of government, this bridging role is invaluable. He demonstrates that engagement is not weakness but strength, and that sustainable reform comes from consensus, not coercion.
With the tax bills now signed into law by President Tinubu, Adedeji’s journey enters a new phase. He understands that the real test of reform lies not in passage but in implementation. Tax policies, no matter how well designed, fail if they are not understood, accepted, and supported by stakeholders. This is why he continues to prioritise dialogue and collaboration.He is proving that Nigeria’s revenue future rests not only on bold policies but also on leaders who can build bridges across divides and inspire collective ownership of reforms.
By January 2026, the outcomes of Zacch Adedeji’s leadership will begin to unfold—through wider acceptance of reforms, higher compliance rates, sustained institutional cooperation, and improved revenue generation. If his bridge-building strategy holds, even reluctant businesses will gradually embrace compliance.
Yushau A. Shuaib
Author of “A Dozen Tips for Media Relations”
