Business
FIRS Nets N1.5trn In First Quarter
Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) said it collected a total sum of N1.5 trillion revenue as at the end of April.
This is contained in a statement signed by the services’ Director, Communications and Liaison Department, Mr Emmanuel Obeta, on Thursday in Abuja.
According to the statement, the figure is an improvement on what it collected same period last year.
It stated that FIRS had jerked up its internal-revenue target for 2013 to N6 trillion as against the N5.72 trillion target given to it by the Federal Government.
The statement noted that the new target was drawn from the result of its modernisation and automation projects, particularly the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS).
“At the Regional Enlarged Management Meeting (REMM) in Lagos on Thursday FIRS Management team’s strategy was on how to achieve the targets of the service.
“Some of the issues discussed at the Lagos REMM included how to improve efficiency in FIRS revenue collection through the implementation of ITAS and improve staff motivation to ensure utmost performance,’’ it stated.
The acting chairman of the service, Mr Kabir Mashi, said that from August, FIRS would begin to implement various components of the ITAS project, which the service had been working on.
He said that when implemented, the ITAS project would enhance online real time payment of taxes and automatic receipt of tax clearance certificates, real time generation of Withholding Tax Credit Notes.
“ITAS is also expected to automate the raising and posting of assessments, filing of withholding tax credit, collation of arrears, risk analysis, production of reports and automated generation of demand letters to taxpayers.
“The Project will also eliminate paper file movement in the organisation and replace that with electronic systems which will ease hiccups in procurement and payment system in the organisation,’’ he said.
Mashi urged the general public to be wary of some fraudulent elements in the society who might be using the name of the service to extort money from them in the name of getting jobs for them in FIRS.
He said that it had come to his notice that some misguided individuals had been peddling rumour that FIRS was recruiting.
“At the moment, FIRS is not recruiting new staff. FIRS has a tradition of advertising widely its recruitment appeals and we will do that when we have another batch of recruitment.
“I have received a lot of text messages and mails from people on this. They said that some people notified them that FIRS is recruiting, but there is nothing like that going on.
“We have concluded 2010 recruitment exercise and I know that recently, we employed some of our contract staff,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Mr Sunday Ogungbesan, the Coordinating Director, Field Operations Group, said such meetings had helped the FIRS to make effective decisions in the past.
He said that the meeting in Lagos would help the service to interact with the staff in Lagos regions and make good decisions.
“Our main focus in 2013 is of consolidation and strengthening existing ground. This we intend to achieve by vigorously pursuing the goals of the restructuring.
“This goals are entrenchment of customer service strategy operations, consolidation of taxpayer segmentation, improvement of taxpayer services, all aimed at improving taxpayer compliance,’’ he said.
Ogungbesan said that if managed properly, all these efforts are expected to result in high level of increased revenue flow into the revenue basket.
“An up to date report of FIRS revenue collection as at the end of May 2013 shows that our collections are beginning to pick up.
“I urge all Tax Controllers, Regional Coordinators and Directors to work continuously to sustain the rising tempo in order to meet the half-year target at the end of June,’’ Ogungbesan said.
In a concerted effort to tackle racketeering and reduce inflated transportation costs in the Nigeria’s seaports, Trucks Transit Parks Ltd. (TTP) has trained Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders on the use of its Ètò electronic call-up system.
The training was held recently at Customs Processing Centre (CPC) Auditorium, Apapa, Lagos, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and supported by the leadership of the Joint Association of Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders (JALCAFF), Apapa Command.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu expressed appreciation to TTP for facilitating the training and emphasized the need for customs agents to take personal ownership of the Ètò booking process.
“I want to thank TTP for this impactful training. I encourage all customs agents to begin doing their own bookings directly. By doing so, they can take back power from the unscrupulous elements exploiting their lack of knowledge, selling tickets at highly inflated prices,” Olomu declared.
He noted that empowering agents with hands-on training was key to dismantling racketeering networks that have plagued access to the ports and frustrated efficient logistics processes.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Apapa Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Emeka Chukwumalu, said the engagement was critical to the ongoing push to reduce cargo transportation costs and ease business operations at the Apapa Port.
According to a freight forwarder, “The training is basically for us to have awareness of the operations of the Ètò call-up system through TTP. We also want to brainstorm on ways to reduce the high cost of cargo transportation in Apapa Port.
“This training opened our eyes to how simple it is to book tickets ourselves. We now know the right steps to follow and how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.”
Earlier, Head of Operations at TTP, Mr. Irabor Akonoman, talked on common misconceptions about ticket pricing, reaffirming that the cost of Ètò bookings had remained consistent since its inception.
“The official price remains the same since inception. What people are paying higher amounts for is the manipulation by racketeers”.
Towards strengthening small businesses and promoting a more supportive regulatory environment, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says it will hold the 2025 edition of its flagship MSMEs Fair on Tuesday (May 6, 2025).
The event, themed, “Galvanising MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability”, will take place at NECA House in Lagos.
According to NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, the fair seeks to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises with essential tools, resources, and strategic networks to thrive in Nigeria’s challenging business climate.
He emphasised the vital role MSMEs play in national development, describing them as the “lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy.”
Oyerinde noted that the fair is designed to offer entrepreneurs practical solutions to navigate economic uncertainties, regulatory hurdles, and business scalability issues.
A major attraction of this year’s event is the keynote address by the CEO of FATE Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, a prominent advocate for MSME development.
She is expected to share transformative insights on innovative strategies for sustaining and growing small businesses in Nigeria.
A unique feature of the fair will be interactive sessions with key regulatory bodies. Entrepreneurs will engage directly with agencies responsible for licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration.
NECA said these sessions aim to demystify bureaucratic processes and foster a more enabling business environment.
It also said the fair will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exhibit their products and services, connect with potential investors, and explore new markets.
It added that participants would gain critical knowledge on digital transformation, access to finance, and strategies for sustainable business growth.
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· NECA stressed that the fair aligns with its broader mission of promoting enterprise development and economic resilience.
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· “By empowering MSMEs with the right support and information, the organisation aims to stimulate job creation, innovation, and long-term economic stability”, NECA said.
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· The 2025 MSMEs Fair is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including financiers, tech experts, regulators, and industry leaders, all united in advancing the growth of Nigeria’s MSME sector.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, says over two million passengers have been transported on the Blue Line Rail since its launch, while state-run buses move an average of 42,000 commuters daily.
Osiyemi, who disclosed this during the Year 2025 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, on Tuesday, noted that the Lagos State Transport Policy, launched in May 2024, was now in its implementation phase, focusing on inclusivity, safety, affordability, and sustainability.
“On rail development, Phase One of the Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) has served over two million passengers, with Phase Two (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko) in progress.
“Phase One of the Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is now operational with eight stations and additional rolling stocks procured, while Phase two (Oyingbo to link Blue Line at National Theatre) is underway”, he said.
The Commissioner said in the state-owned bus operations, over 60 million commuters have been served since 2019, with daily ridership exceeding 40,000.
He also said plans were on to deploy new buses with Quality Bus Corridors under construction, adding that the Abule=Egba Bus Terminal had also been commissioned.
“For water transport, 15 locally-built Omibus Ferries have been launched and are in operation, with the Ijegun Egba Terminal now open.
“The OMI EKO project, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), will deliver 25 terminals and 78 electric ferries.
“Over 280,000 passengers have used ferry services in the past year, and 12 boats have been upgraded to meet safety standards”, he said.
On road infrastructure and traffic management, the Commissioner said 49 junction improvement projects had been completed, including ongoing ones at Ikorodu, Iju, as well as Allen-Opebi-Toyin axis.
He added that solar-powered Traffic Signal Lights, road markings covering 67.9km, new medians, laybys, and 3,941 parking lots had also been provided.
Additionally, Osiyemi announced that the deployed Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras had detected over 470,000 traffic violations and that the Vehicle Inspection Service issued over one million roadworthiness certificates.
He also said that the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute trained more than 32,000 drivers in the past 13 months.
The event marked the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, showcasing major strides in the transport sector under the THEMES+ agenda.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos