The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has inducted a new generation of professionals following a transparent, merit-based recruitment process, hailed as a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s public sector.
The exercise, conducted under the FIRS ‘Work With Us’ initiative, is being celebrated as one of the most transparent recruitment drives in the nation’s history, signaling a significant shift in the agency’s approach to hiring and institutional reform.
The induction ceremony, held at the FIRS headquarters in Abuja, was led by Dr. Zachs Adedeji, the Executive Chairman of FIRS.
Dr. Adedeji emphasized that the new hires are central to his vision of building a ‘people-driven institution’ where 80% of the work is done in-house by FIRS staff.
“Today marks not just the start of your employment, but the beginning of a personal and national journey. Your competence, commitment, and values will shape the future of our nation’s fiscal stability,” Dr. Adedeji told the recruits.
The recruitment process involved a rigorous digital screening and virtual interviews across 10 coordinated panels, ensuring that candidates were selected based on merit, integrity, and readiness for public service.
Dr. Adedeji highlighted that the transformation underway at FIRS is built on three pillars: People, Processes, and Technology, with people at the core.
“Technology is not a substitute for competence, but a catalyst for precision, speed, and impact,” he noted.
Dr. Adedeji also outlined the agency’s evolution from a revenue collection body to a strategic enabler of economic resilience, urging the new inductees to lead with innovation and integrity.
He drew on a Yoruba proverb to underscore the importance of human capital, stating, “A child not well-educated will sell the house built.”
Reaffirming Dr. Adedeji’s message, Collins Osagie Omokaro, Special Adviser on Communications and Advocacy, described the recruits as co-architects of the country’s future, emphasizing their critical role in the people-driven transformation underway at FIRS.
The induction programme, designed to prepare the new hires for their roles, will cover tax administration, ethics, digital tools, and the FIRS 2025 Roadmap. The goal is to ensure recruits are equipped to deliver on the agency’s reform agenda and contribute to Nigeria’s fiscal stability.
