The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has unveiled a new tagline, “Inspiring Trust, Sustaining Growth,” as it expands its focus from tax collection to broader revenue administration.
The tagline was introduced in Abuja on Thursday as part of the agency’s transformation following its transition from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Speaking at the event, Tayo Koleosho, Chief of Staff to the NRS Executive Chairman, said the new identity was designed to strengthen public confidence in the country’s revenue administration system.
He said taxpayers should be assured that their information would be protected, tax assessments handled fairly and interactions with the Service conducted professionally.
NRS emphasises trust and business growth
Koleosho said building trust was important to encouraging voluntary tax compliance and improving revenue collection.
He also explained that the Service was interested in the growth of businesses, noting that stronger companies and a more productive economy could expand the country’s revenue base.
He referenced the philosophy of NRS Executive Chairman Zacch Adedeji, who has said the agency wants to “tax the fruit, not the seed”.
The approach, he explained, means allowing businesses to develop and expand, with increased economic activity eventually generating more revenue for government.
Koleosho said the Service’s revenue performance depended not only on tax administration but also on economic growth and productivity.
He added that the agency was working towards meeting the Federal Government’s revenue target for 2026.
Service says focus is on efficient collection
The NRS representative said recent changes in tax administration were not intended to increase tax rates, but to improve the efficiency of assessment and collection.
He pointed to digital initiatives, including electronic invoicing and the 360 tax payment system, as measures intended to make tax compliance easier for businesses.
According to him, the systems are designed to reduce the time companies spend on tax-related processes and minimise disruptions to their operations.
Koleosho said improved administration, alongside economic growth, could support higher revenue without relying on increases in tax rates.
NRS broadens its revenue mandate
Alfred Okoh, the NRS Group Director of Transformation and Strategy, said the new tagline reflected the agency’s expanded responsibilities under its new legal framework.
He explained that the Service’s work now extends beyond taxes to include non-tax revenue administration.
Okoh said the change from FIRS to NRS, alongside the NRS Establishment Act, marked a broader shift in the institution’s mandate.
He added that the new tagline was deliberately designed to reflect revenue administration rather than a narrower tax-focused identity.
Staff competition produced new tagline
Okoh said the tagline emerged from an internal competition launched on August 10, which attracted 3,308 submissions from employees across the country within six working days.
Entries came from the Service’s directorates and offices in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The submissions went through several stages of review before seven finalists were presented to the Tax Controllers Committee of Judges and management, which selected the final four.
According to Okoh, the entries were assessed based on strategic relevance, originality, clarity, memorability and their ability to communicate the Service’s mission.
He said the exercise was intended to produce a phrase that could represent a national institution and connect with taxpayers.
NRS highlights internal capacity
The Service also said it was working towards having 80 per cent of its operations handled internally, as part of efforts to build staff capacity and reduce reliance on external consultants.
Koleosho cited the tagline competition and the development of digital tax systems as examples of work undertaken through internal expertise.
He said staff training, skills development and a younger workforce were contributing to the agency’s digital transformation efforts.
Olanike Adegoke, Director of Change Management, said the tagline reflected the collective identity of the organisation and the contributions of employees across its departments.
She said the competition demonstrated that the NRS’s transformation was not being shaped by management alone, but also by the staff responsible for carrying out its mandate.
The Service said the new tagline would guide its communication and transformation efforts, adding that its impact would ultimately depend on whether taxpayers experience simpler processes, professional service and greater confidence in revenue administration.
