Nigeria Revenue Service has launched a new corporate tagline, 'Inspiring Trust, Sustaining Growth', as part of its transformation from the defunct Federal Inland Revenue Service into a modern revenue administration institution with expanded responsibilities. The unveiling, held in Abuja recently, marks a milestone in the Service's transition to encompassing both tax and non-tax revenue administration under the NRS Establishment Act. The tagline represents a commitment to building public confidence, simplifying compliance, strengthening institutional capacity and supporting the Federal Government's goal of growing Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2030, the NRS said.
Speaking at the ceremony, Tayo Koleosho, Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman of the NRS, said the new identity reflected the Service's determination to place trust at the heart of its relationship with taxpayers. An efficient revenue administration system must inspire confidence that taxpayer information is secure, assessments are fair and interactions with revenue officials are transparent and professional, he explained. Trust must begin within the organisation, with employees demonstrating the integrity, professionalism and accountability necessary to earn taxpayers' confidence, Koleosho said. The NRS was committed to building a revenue system that supports business expansion rather than stifling enterprise, he added, citing the Executive Chairman's philosophy of seeking to 'tax the fruit, not the seed' by allowing businesses to flourish and expand the country's revenue base.
Koleosho expressed confidence that the NRS would meet the Federal Government's revenue target for 2026 through economic expansion, increased productivity and improvements in tax administration rather than increases in existing tax rates. 'The new tax bill and everything have stabilised in terms of the rate; there's no new rate increase. It's just our ability for the Service to do better in terms of how we are collecting from taxpayers,' he stated. Digitisation serves as a major driver of transformation, with electronic invoicing and the Tax 360 payment system helping companies fulfil their obligations with less operational disruption while improving accuracy, transparency and efficiency of revenue administration.
The new tagline emerged from an organisation-wide competition that attracted 3,308 entries from NRS employees within six working days beginning August 10, according to Alfred Okoh, Group Director of Transformation and Strategy. Participation came from every directorate and employees across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The submissions underwent a three-stage screening process, reducing 3,308 entries to 112, then 85, before seven finalists were presented to the Tax Controllers Committee of Judges and management reviewed the final four entries. Submissions were evaluated on strategic alignment, originality, clarity, memorability, emotional connection with taxpayers and capacity to communicate the Service's mission, Okoh said.
However, Okoh cautioned that the true measure of success would not be the tagline's popularity but whether taxpayers experience its promises through simpler procedures, improved service delivery, effective technology deployment, responsible data use and greater collaboration among employees. 'Transformation is not achieved by technology alone, not by a new logo nor by a powerful tagline,' he said, adding that it occurs when taxpayers experience the promise behind the words and every interaction reinforces trust and confidence. For Nigerian businesses and individuals, this shift means the revenue system is intended to reduce compliance burdens and administrative disruption while improving fairness and transparency in tax administration.