By Stanley Onyekwere
The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) hosted a landmark Stakeholder Engagement Forum on Monday, February 16, 2026, in Abuja, signaling a major shift toward a modern, digital-first revenue framework for the nation’s capital.
The forum, themed “Harmonising Revenue Systems and Implementing New Tax Laws,” focused on domesticating the 2025 Tax Reform Acts, which officially became effective on January 1, 2026.
Seaking at the event, Acting Executive Chairman of the FCT-IRS, Mr. Michael Ango, described the initiative as a departure from traditional tax collection methods, emphasising genuine partnerships over mere compliance.
He said: “This stakeholder engagement forum is one with a difference.
“We have not called you here to educate you on your obligations or to report on collections.
“Rather, we are here to discuss our vision for the FCT and how we can work together as partners to achieve that vision”.
Ango highlighted that the Service is building a world-class tax administration based on collective productivity and global standards.
The FCT-IRS boss credited recent infrastructure and security improvements in the territory to deliberate design through internally generated revenue (IGR). Under the new 2026 tax architecture, the FCT-IRS has gained enhanced access to national systems as a statutory member of the Joint Revenue Board (JRB), which has replaced the Joint Tax Board.
He noted that key highlights of the Service’s current approach include: Digital Infrastructure: Leveraging automated and data-driven systems to eliminate manual bottlenecks; Voluntary Compliance: Prioritizing taxpayer education and voluntary payments, with enforcement remains a last resort.
Revenue Harmonisation: Resolving issues of multiple taxation by creating a unified collection system across Area Councils.
Earlier, in her opening remarks, Director of Taxpayer Services, Chinwe Ndu, emphasised that the forum aims to foster a shared understanding of new laws to improve the ease of doing business in the FCT.
“Tax thrives on collaboration rather than confusion,” Ndu remarked. “Our goal is to craft and implement a tax framework that is both pragmatic and practicable”.
The forum also heard from the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, who noted that the success of the 2026 tax regime depends on sub-national authorities embracing technology to meet national revenue goals without raising rates.
