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KWIRS emerges first ISO-Certified State revenue service

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The Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS) has become the first State Internal Revenue Service (SIRS) to receive certifications of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) for ISO 9001: 2015 Quality Management System and ISO/IEC 22301: 2012 Business Continuity Management System.

The Quality Management Standard (QMS) certification implies that the Service has implemented standards through processes that demonstrate commitment towards continual improvements in the areas of customer satisfaction, productivity, efficiency, and resource optimisation among others.

The Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) certification represents that the Service has met requirements which would enable it to be resilient, secured towards disruptions and incidents as well as inside and outside threats. BCMS also implies that KW-IRS is committed to ensuring there is quick recovery in the event of business disruption through identification of potential risks and planning of contingencies.

The Service had embarked on the Certifications having recognised that while there had been significant growth, there was also more desired to be achieved. The Service which was in its 3rd year of operations had to put in place standardised processes for growth and sustainability.

The Certifications ensures all interested parties including external and internal stakeholders are taken into cognisance in all its activities and ensures all necessary statutory and regulatory requirements are met.

The two (2) Certificates were publicly presented to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kwara State and the Management Team of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service which was led by the Executive Chairman, Dr Muritala Awodun on the 19th of December 2018 at the Government House.

The certificates were presented by Tenol Alpha, an affiliate of the certification body, Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB), Canada.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji (Dr) Abdulfatah Ahmed said KW-IRS had come to change the face of revenue generation with a target to achieve the desired development. He revealed that he always had the desire to show the nexus between revenue generation, development, and tax application and KW-IRS had achieved giant strides in this respect.

Governor Ahmed opined that the growth witnessed in the revenue generation was largely influenced by putting in place the reform model of People, Process and Technology (PPT). This he said had moved the State to one of the best and most efficient SIRS deemed worthy of emulation by many others.

His Excellency said the ISO Certifications capped other other achieved feats which served as evidence that his Administration not only initiated the right institution but also selected the right people.

He stated that the Service had proven to be efficient under the leadership of Dr Muritala Awodun as the pioneer Executive Chairman.

He added that he was especially proud because he understood the tough job driving change constitutes and even how more difficult it could be for a public sector organisation.

The Executive Governor of Kwara State said with the ISO 9001: 2015 QMS and ISO 22301: 2012 BCMS ISO Certifications, the Management and Staff of the Service had not only done KW-IRS proud, not only done Kwara proud but had also done Nigeria proud.

He congratulated the Executive Chairman and all staff of the Service on the world class achievement.

Earlier, Awodun explained that the service embarked on the certification having recognised the need to scale up its performance despite its recent achievements in revenue generation and management.

In his remarks, the representative of Canada-based Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB) an international organisation for standardisation, Mr Olumide Ajibawo said the KWIRS had been appraised twice and found operating within the international best practices by building resilience and reducing risk in business and had demonstrated that it could stand the test of time.

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Tinubu Launches Personal Income Tax Calculator to Improve Compliance, Fairness

By ORJI ISRAEL

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Bola Ahmed Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has launched a Personal Income Tax Calculator to help Nigerians work out their tax obligations under the new tax law.

The tool is expected to make compliance easier and improve transparency in the system.

In a post on his X page, the president said the calculator shows how the recent reforms protect low-income earners while ensuring fairness.

“A fair tax system must never punish poverty or weigh down the most vulnerable. With the new tax laws I recently signed, taking effect from January 2026, we have lifted this burden and created a path of equity, fairness, and true redistribution in our economy,” Tinubu said.

Some months ago, he signed four major tax bills into law to bring Nigeria’s scattered tax system under one framework. These include the Nigeria Tax Administration Law, which sets out a uniform process for tax administration across federal, state, and local governments; the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, which replaces the current Federal Inland Revenue Service Act with a stronger, more independent revenue agency; and the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, which creates a formal structure for cooperation between revenue bodies at all levels.

The introduction of the tax calculator, together with these reforms, is expected to reduce confusion for both individuals and businesses, while also making it easier for them to meet their obligations and contribute to national growth.

Tinubu added that the reforms are part of building renewed hope for the economy and urged Nigerians to trust in the country’s future for themselves and their families.

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Finance

FIRS e-Invoicing Hits 20% Adoption in Two Weeks

Reporter: SANDRA ANI

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VAT controversy | FIRS e-Invoicing

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says that no fewer than 1,000 companies, representing 20% of total eligible firms, have begun integrating its newly launched electronic invoicing  (e-invoicing) system less than two weeks after it went live.

The FIRS e-invoicing platform, which went live on August 1, 2025, after a successful pilot phase that began in November 2024, was designed to modernise Nigeria’s tax administration, curb evasion, and enhance transparency in revenue generation. It also provides the FIRS with real-time visibility into commercial transactions, ensuring authenticity and completeness of invoices.

According to a statement by Dare Adekanmbi, special adviser on Media to FIRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji, at least 1,000 companies, representing 20% of more than 5,000 eligible firms, have already adopted the system and begun integrating with the FIRS platform.

Adekanmbi noted that the initiative, also known as the Merchant-Buyer Model, will be rolled out in phases. “Large taxpayers, which are companies with annual turnover of N5 billion and more, are expected to be the first to be onboarded on the platform,” he said.

FIRS revealed that MTN Nigeria was the first taxpayer to transmit live electronic invoices to the platform, while Huawei Nigeria and IHS Nigeria have concluded test transmissions and are expected to go live soon.

The agency added that the initial compliance deadline of August 1, 2025, has been extended by three months to accommodate companies currently facing onboarding challenges. The new deadline is now November 1, 2025.

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NGX Boss, Umaru Kwairanga, to Chair Business Journal Fintech Roundtable 2025

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NGX Boss, Umaru Kwairanga
NGX Boss, Umaru Kwairanga

Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, Group Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) will Chair the 2nd Business Journal Fintech & Financial Inclusion Roundtable 2025 scheduled for Friday, August 29, 2025 at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos. Time is 10-am prompt.

The theme of the Roundtable is: Fintech & Financial Inclusion: The Opportunities & Challenges for Nigeria.

In a statement, Prince Cookey, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Business Journal Media Group said the choice of Umaru Kwairanga to chair the event is a reflection of his immense and chequered journey in the Nigerian economic system over the years.

“Dr. Umaru Kwairanga is a noted player in the Nigerian economy and financial services sector. Over the years, he has carved a positive niche in driving the narrative in national policy formulation, implementation and review. He remains a worthy point of reference and role model to current and future players in the Nigerian economy.”

Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Kwairanga, Sarkin Fulani Gombe and Group Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), is a notable player in the Nigerian corporate world, a thorough-bred professional and a prominent community leader in Gombe State and the North East region.

He has served at the highest levels of the banking, pension, investment, manufacturing and commercial sectors of Nigeria’s economy. He is the current Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Nigeria’ oldest stock exchange and also Chairman of Tangerine General Insurance Limited.

The NGX Chairman is also a Director on the Boards of First Bank Senegal Limited, Tangerine Apt Pensions Limited and the Group Managing Director of Finmal Finance Services Limited.  

He is a past Chairman of Ashaka Cement plc and previously served on the Boards of Jaiz Bank Plc, Central Securities Clearing System Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc and First Bank Mortgages Limited to mention a few.

Professionally, Alhaji Kwairanga is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria, the Certified Pension Institute of Nigeria and the Abuja Commodities and Securities Exchange.

He is also a Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers; the Chartered Institute of Directors and he is the current President of the Certified Pensions Institute of Nigeria.

Kwairanga is a holder of the prominent traditional title of Sarkin Fulani Gombe and has led several initiatives for peace and development in Gombe State and the North East region in general.

He has also been involved in policy and strategy formulation in the public sector as a Member of the Vision 2020 Committee, the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan and several committees of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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