The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has strongly refuted claims made by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar regarding the appointment of Xpress Payments as one of the channels used within the national revenue collection system.
In a statement signed by Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, the Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the FIRS Executive Chairman, the service labelled the former Vice President’s comments as “incorrect” and “misleading,” asserting they risk unnecessarily politicising a purely administrative and technical process vital to the nation’s financial health.
The FIRS clarified that it operates a multi-channel, multi-Payment Solution Service Provider (PSSP) collection framework, explicitly denying the existence of any exclusive or single-gateway revenue-collection arrangement that grants a private entity a monopoly over government revenues.
The statement identified several established platforms currently utilized in the system, including Quickteller, Remita, Etranzact, Flutterwave, and XpressPay. These platforms, the service explained, are part of an expanded, transparent, and competitive ecosystem designed with the sole purpose of making tax payment easier and more efficient for taxpayers across Nigeria.
The tax body also moved to counter the suggestion that any private entity could profit from tax payments, stressing that PSSPs are neither collection agents nor do they earn a processing fee per payment or a percentage of the revenues collected.
Crucially, the FIRS emphasized the security and transparency of the process: all revenues collected through these various channels are paid directly into the Federation Account without any form of diversion, intermediaries, or private control. The statement unequivocally confirmed that no PSSP has access to, or custody of, government funds at any point.
The FIRS further highlighted several features of the current collection framework, stating that the scheme has been deliberately broadened to offer taxpayers more options and eliminate the dominance of any single provider, thereby improving efficiency. A streamlined monitoring and reporting process has also been put in place to ensure greater accountability and enhance national revenue performance.
Finally, the FIRS issued a stern warning to political actors. “We therefore urge Atiku Abubakar and other political actors to refrain from mischaracterising routine administrative processes for political gain,” the statement read. “Nigeria’s tax system is too important to be subjected to misinformation or unnecessary alarm.”
The FIRS concluded by reaffirming its commitment to professionalism, transparency, and the continuous strengthening of national revenue systems for the collective benefit of all Nigerians.
