Finance
Upperlink wins CBN awards, ready to provide state govts with improved TSA solutions


BY: Sandra Ani
For its continued leadership role in the electronic payment ecosystem in the past years, Upperlink Limited, has shown its readiness to provide state governments with an improved Treasury Single Account [TSA] solutions, even as the company have won the 2019 edition of Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN]’s Electronic Payment Incentive Scheme (EPIS) Efficiency Awards recently.
The CBN organised the awards to celebrate financial institutions, fintech firms and other stakeholders who are in the forefront of driving electronic payments in Nigeria.
A statement signed by the MD/CEO of the company, Mr. Segun Akano said the company “is passionate about helping state governments with improved TSA solutions as the conversation with some of the states’ ministry of finance have shown that they want an improved TSA over what the federal government is currently implementing”.
He explained that the award-winning e-payment solution, PayChoice-BAMS, is an improved TSA platform, as it keeps all accounts in different banks but “the aggregate balance is visible on one window”.
According to Akano, this window gives the states government full control over their funds by “allowing sweeping across banks or across accounts. It provides trend analysis about in-and-out movements in each account across all the banks”.
In its fourth year, the CBN awards are based on objective analysis of all electronic-payments data collated by the Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems (NIBSS) over a full calendar year.
Upperlink emerged winner in the Cashless Driver Award: Non-Bank Payment Operator Award – Payment Solution Service Providers (PSSP) category.
“We are proud to be recognized by the CBN for our efforts in driving excellence in electronic payments and providing our clients with a superior non-banking experience across digital touch-points.
“The award serves as extra motivation for us and we will continue to find new and exciting ways to delight our clients in digital payment solutions”, Akano said.
He explained that the platform makes disbursement easy to vendors, contractors and to pay staff salaries while allowing the tax components and other deductibles of all payments to be remitted seamlessly in real time to the respective beneficiaries.
“Our PayChoice-BAMS platform helps users to carry out transactions in real-time while observing all the protocols pertaining to signatories and mandates of the state in a secured manner”.
He added that the platform has become so valuable to state governments because it allows the states to keep their trade obligations with the respective banks.
“The ripple effects are that the banks that have set up branches in these states remain in business, keep their staff, and even employ more indigenes to improve the economy of the state, enhance payee and boost micro economic activities”, he emphasised.
He informed that blue chips in the oil and gas, manufacturing and services sectors that maintain accounts across multiple banks have found PayChoice-BAMS useful.
“Its key functionalities have proven invaluable for many chief financial controllers who are seeking the ability to view all the company accounts across the multiple banks through one single view, make multiple transactions, track balances in real-time, generate statistics and prepare payment data analytics for the management team”, he said.
Finance
Tinubu Launches Personal Income Tax Calculator to Improve Compliance, Fairness
By ORJI ISRAEL


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.


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.
Finance
NGX Boss, Umaru Kwairanga, to Chair Business Journal Fintech Roundtable 2025
By Our Correspondent


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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