Agency insists tax payment channels remain multiple, transparent and regulated by the CBN.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service has dismissed allegations by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar suggesting that the appointment of Xpress Payments as a payment channel for federal tax collection was driven by political considerations.
In a statement on Sunday, Aderonke Atoyebi, Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the FIRS Chairman, described Atiku’s remark as “misleading” and capable of distorting public understanding of Nigeria’s tax administration framework.
Atiku had accused the Federal Government of handing a “monopoly” to Xpress Payments in the tax collection process.
But Atoyebi said the assertion was inaccurate and risked politicising what she insisted was a routine administrative decision.
“His assertions are incorrect, misleading, and risk unnecessarily politicising a purely administrative and technical process. The FIRS does not operate any exclusive or single-gateway revenue-collection arrangement, and no private entity has been granted a monopoly over government revenues,” she said.
‘Multiple Channels, Not One Gateway’ — FIRS
Clarifying the agency’s position, Atoyebi stated that the FIRS currently works with several Payment Solution Service Providers, including Quickteller, Remita, Etranzact, Flutterwave, and XpressPay, to expand taxpayer access and simplify the payment process nationwide.
She stressed that PSSPs are not revenue collectors and do not keep any share of government funds.
“All revenues collected through these channels go directly into the Federation Account, without diversion, intermediaries, or private control. No PSSP has access to, or custody of, government funds,” she said.
Atoyebi noted that the system was deliberately designed to prevent dominance by any single platform while promoting accountability, competition and innovation across Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem.
Transparent Onboarding, Competitive Process
The FIRS official emphasised that payment service providers are onboarded through a transparent and verifiable process that ensures fair participation for all qualified entities.
She argued that Atiku’s concerns were unnecessary at a time when the country is implementing broad-based tax reforms aimed at modernising fiscal administration.
“The ongoing national tax reform, driven by the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, is central to modernising Nigeria’s economy and should not be dragged into partisan controversy. This reform has come to stay,” she added.
Atiku, a frequent critic of the Tinubu administration, had suggested that Xpress Payments allegedly linked to political associates was favoured in a manner he feared could undermine transparency and compromise public trust.
The former Vice President cautioned that placing essential fiscal functions in the hands of politically connected private firms could jeopardise accountability in government revenue management.
FIRS Warns Against Politicising Routine Processes
The FIRS, however, insisted its systems remain uncompromised and urged political actors to avoid framing technical processes as partisan manoeuvres.
“The tax administration system is too important to be subjected to misinformation or unnecessary alarm,” the statement said.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism, transparency and stronger national revenue mobilisation.
Xpress Payment Solutions was officially listed as a collection option for the FIRS under the Treasury Single Account on November 19, 2025, allowing taxpayers using the TaxPro Max platform to select XpressPay while generating Payment Reference Numbers.
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