The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, has urged African tax administrators to look inward for local solutions to the continent’s challenges rather than turning to the Western world for salvation.

Adedeji made the call at a three-day council meeting of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) hosted by FIRS in Lagos.

Headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, ATAF is an international organisation established in 2009 to provide a common platform for African tax administrators to build capacity, achieve revenue objectives, and advance the role of taxation in African governance and state building.

The FIRS chairman, who is the president of the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators (CATA), said practicable solutions to address the challenges confronting the continent, particularly in the area of local resource mobilisation, could “only come from wearers who know where the shoe pinches”.

Adedeji, according to a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media, Dare Adekanmbi, urged member countries to take ATAF matters seriously and abide by the rules set.

FIRS chair advocates capacity building to enhance tax administration

He stressed that the success of the continental body depends on collective efforts to showcase the best Africa has to offer.

The FIRS boss said: “The problem of Africa can only be sincerely solved by Africans. I charge you all to redouble efforts to make sure we prioritise the activities of ATAF.

“In Nigeria, we are giving you our commitment that we will prioritise anything that has to do with ATAF, recognising that solutions to our challenges reside with us in Africa. Nobody can tell our stories better than ourselves. We cannot continue to rely on solutions from platforms that are not indigenous to us.

“We must ensure the sustainability of the organisation and uphold the tenets of ATAF founding agreement and rules and be committed to abiding by them in our decision-making processes.

“The management of the secretariat is also vital to the success of the organisation, and we must prioritise the process of a smooth transition in this meeting, as the term of the current Executive Secretary comes to an end in March 2025 when Mr Logan Wort will have served for 16 years of meritorious efforts. Nigeria joins the rest of ATAF members to applaud and honour Mr Wort.”

Also speaking, ATAF Vice Chairman and Commissioner General of South African Revenue Service, Edward Kieswetter, said the body had been providing a platform for members to build not just human capacity but also synergise in technology.

Others at the meeting were ATAF Chairman, Dr Philippe Tchodie (Togo); Kieswetter from South Africa; Jeanette Makgolo (Botswana); Pascal Ruganintwali (Rwanda); and Dingani Banda (Zambia); among others.

The Star