FIRS Debunks Atiku Abubakar’s Claims, Warns Against Politicising Tax Administration

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has dismissed allegations by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar suggesting that a private firm, Xpress Payments, had been granted exclusive rights in Nigeria’s national revenue-collection system.

In a statement issued by Aderonke Atoyebi, Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the FIRS Executive Chairman, the agency described Atiku’s comments as “incorrect, misleading, and capable of unnecessarily politicising a purely administrative and technical process.”

‎The service clarified that it does not operate a single-gateway channel for collecting government revenues, noting that no company has monopoly or privileged control over the process.

According to the statement, the FIRS currently uses a multi-channel, multi-Payment Solution Service Provider (PSSP) framework that includes several established platforms such as Quickteller, Remita, Etranzact, Flutterwave and XpressPay.

“These PSSPs are part of a transparent and competitive ecosystem designed to make tax payment easier and more efficient for Nigerians nationwide,” the agency said.

It added that PSSPs are not designated as collection agents and do not earn processing fees or percentages from revenues.