- By Collins Nweze and Precious Nwadike
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has successfully onboarded over 1,000 large taxpayers into its e-invoicing platform within two weeks of its rollout.
The Director of Change Management at FIRS, Emmanuel Eze, spoke yesterday at a two-day E-Invoice Post Go-Live Workshop in Lagos.
The event was organised by the service to strengthen adoption and ensure smooth implementation of the National E-Invoicing Solution (Merchant-Buyer Model).
Representing the Chief of Staff to the FIRS Executive Chairman, Mr. Tayo Koleosho, Eze revealed that the first live invoice transmissions came from pioneering organisations such as MTN Nigeria, Huawei Nigeria, and IHS Nigeria.
He added that the service has so far certified 16 companies to act as both System Integrators and Access Point Providers in the e-invoicing ecosystem. More providers are expected to be approved in due course as they meet FIRS criteria.
“On August 1, 2025, we officially went live with the E-Invoicing Solution for Large Taxpayers — a significant milestone in our drive to modernize tax administration in Nigeria. This achievement was made possible through extensive collaboration between the FIRS, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), accredited service providers, and our valued taxpayers and consultants. Since go-live, over 1,000 large taxpayers have been successfully onboarded, representing about 20 percent of our target group,” Eze stated.
The workshop, he said, was designed to provide practical guidance on taxpayer enablement, integration processes, and real-time invoice transmission; introduce certified service providers; host live technical demonstrations and support desk sessions; and engage stakeholders through feedback and Q&A to promptly address operational challenges.
Recognizing that onboarding is still ongoing, Eze announced a three-month extension to the deadline for integration and invoice transmission — now set for November 1, 2025. “This extension is not an opportunity to delay; rather, it is a chance for all stakeholders to complete integration, test transmissions, and resolve system readiness issues well ahead of enforcement,” he said.
According to him, FIRS will continue to provide technical helpdesk services, sector-specific engagement sessions, and work with designated service providers to accelerate integration. “Success depends on mutual trust and cooperation between FIRS, taxpayers, consultants, and technology partners,” he emphasized.
Also speaking, the Project Manager for the e-invoicing initiative, Mr. Mohammed Bawa, confirmed that over 1,000 out of more than 4,000 targeted large taxpayers have already commenced integration. He explained that the extension was granted to allow the remaining taxpayers to onboard and to provide clarity on post-onboarding steps.
“We felt it necessary to organize this workshop to bring together all relevant stakeholders — taxpayers, tax consultants, and our service providers — to guide large taxpayers on how to proceed with integration before the new November 1 deadline. This will ensure they fully utilize the remaining time to comply with the FIRS mandate,” Bawa said.
Bawa stressed the economic significance of e-invoicing, noting that many transactions remain outside the tax net, making effective government planning difficult. “The only way to capture these economic activities is through the e-invoicing system, whereby from the inception of a business transaction, the government is aware it is happening. This helps taxpayers comply easily with the law and drastically minimizes under-declaration, tax avoidance, and evasion,” he said.
He added that the system would help formalize the informal sector by generating sufficient data on businesses previously outside the tax system. “Once businesses formalize, they can grow, and we will have more taxpayers contributing to national revenue. Without this, the burden will continue to fall on large taxpayers,” he explained.
Bawa also pointed out that under the new regime, businesses will not be able to transact with others unless they are on the e-invoicing platform, with standardized invoices and verified information such as their Government-issued Identification Number (GIN).
On his part, the Acting Director of Tax Automation at FIRS, Mr. Mike Adoga, assured stakeholders of strict data confidentiality under the electronic invoicing initiative. He said the agency is guided by the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) and has put in place strong safeguards to ensure data shared for tax purposes remains secure.
“I want you to be rest assured that we are guided by the NDPA and that all data passed for tax purposes remains confidential. Taxpayer A does business with Taxpayer B, and it’s a taxable transaction — FIRS wants to know about it and make sure the taxes due are remitted correctly and on time. If we know about the transaction from the beginning, then there will be no argument because every transaction is captured. This reduces audit and compliance issues,” Adoga said.
He explained that the project is not solely an FIRS initiative but a national one involving multiple federal agencies. “Our tax-to-GDP ratio still stands at around 10 percent, which is not good enough. That means only 10 percent of taxable transactions are being taxed. To close that gap, we must deploy digital solutions like e-invoicing,” he stated.
The e-invoicing platform, according to FIRS, is expected to enhance transparency, improve voluntary compliance, reduce revenue leakages, and bring more economic actors into the formal sector. With over 1,000 large taxpayers already integrated, officials say the coming months will be crucial for onboarding the remaining 80 percent of the target group ahead of the November 1 enforcement date.
