The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has defended its phased rollout of the new Tax Act, saying the strategy is designed to address operational and infrastructure challenges while ensuring a smooth transition to a fully digital tax system.

Speaking at an e-invoicing compliance workshop organised by eTranzact in collaboration with the NRS, the agency’s Project Manager for e-invoicing implementation, Mohammed Bawa, said the first phase deliberately targets large taxpayers.

According to Bawa, focusing on large corporations in the initial stage will help strengthen system integration, resolve bottlenecks, and refine processes before extending the framework to medium and smaller businesses.

Bawa explained that the implementation has been structured into three phases over three years — starting with large taxpayers, followed by medium-sized firms, and eventually smaller entities.

In the last year, we’ve been speaking directly to large taxpayers and organising engagements to ease adoption,” he said.

We know the transition will not be that easy. Our focus is to support taxpayers on how best to comply and how easily they can comply.”

For 2026, the NRS plans to concentrate on medium-sized taxpayers with annual turnovers between ₦1 billion and ₦5 billion.

A three-month stakeholder engagement will precede a pilot phase before full compliance enforcement toward the end of the year and early next year.

Infrastructure and Digital Readiness
To address potential connectivity and data storage concerns, Bawa disclosed that the agency has procured additional servers and strengthened its digital infrastructure.

The NRS is also introducing a simulation portal that will allow taxpayers to test invoice generation and transmission before going live. An engagement portal has equally been created to enable businesses to schedule consultations and resolve compliance questions.

“We don’t expect all taxpayers to comply at the same time,” Bawa noted. “As more join, we’ll continue to improve system capacity and address emerging challenges.”

The agency has accredited multiple service providers, including eTranzact, to assist taxpayers in meeting compliance requirements.

Bawa described e-invoicing as a transformative tool that enhances transparency, reduces errors, speeds up audits and refund processing, and lowers the risk of penalties.

Because everything is captured digitally, audits become lighter and refunds are processed faster,” he said.

Director at eTranzact, Abubakar Achimogo, described the initiative as a significant shift from manual processes to automated tax documentation, assuring stakeholders that the platform is seamless and user-friendly.

This protects the average Nigerian from multiple taxation. The process is automated, transparent, and real-time.

There are no windows for abuse,” Achimogo stated.

Stakeholders at the workshop noted that beyond regulatory compliance, the reform is expected to strengthen revenue mobilisation, improve accountability, and enhance confidence in Nigeria’s tax administration framework.

With the phased implementation now underway, the NRS says continuous stakeholder engagement and infrastructure upgrades will remain central to achieving a fully digital, transparent, and efficient tax ecosystem.

Taraba State’s political landscape shifted dramatically on Saturday, January 31, 2026, as Governor Agbu Kefas formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), ending the state’s long-standing reputation as the PDP’s last northern stronghold.

The symbolic presentation of the APC flag to Kefas by the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, at the Jolly Nyame Stadium in Jalingo marked the climax of months of political maneuvering.

The colourful ceremony, attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and six APC governors, underscored the strategic importance of the defection ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speculation about Kefas’ movement began months earlier when he was introduced to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Although plans for his formal reception into the APC were concluded in November 2025, the event was postponed in solidarity with Kebbi State following the abduction of schoolchildren.

Kefas later registered officially as an APC member in December, receiving his membership card at the TY Danjuma House in Jalingo.

Explaining the delay, Kefas said national concerns required empathy and restraint. But on the rescheduled date, he made his intentions clear.

“It is not for me; it is for you,” he told cheering supporters. “Taraba must align with the centre. I am not here for survival; I am here for service.”

Alignment With the Centre
Vice President Shettima described governance as “an act of partnership, not isolation,” reinforcing the APC’s message that alignment with the Federal Government guarantees accelerated development.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, said Taraba now stood to benefit from stronger federal collaboration.

Professor Yilwatda called the defection “shifting cultivation,” assuring Kefas of the rewards of joining the progressive fold.

Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, Taraba had remained firmly under PDP control, resisting the APC wave that swept across much of the North.

Even neighbouring Adamawa and Gombe oscillated between parties, but Taraba stood loyal to the PDP until now.

Political observers note that PDP dominance had been waning.

In the 2023 governorship election, Kefas secured victory with 302,614 votes, while the combined votes of APC and NNPP surpassed his tally a sign of growing opposition strength.

Public reaction remains divided. Critics describe the defection as politically self-serving, while supporters argue it is a pragmatic move to attract federal projects and economic growth.

Federal roads such as Jalingo–Numan, Jalingo–Yola, and Jalingo–Wukari remain in poor condition, while long-awaited projects like the Ibi Bridge, Namnai Bridge, and the Mambilla Hydropower Project are cited as potential dividends of alignment.

The silence of influential elder statesman Theophilus Danjuma, long regarded as a political godfather in Taraba, has fuelled speculation of internal rifts ahead of 2027.

Meanwhile, quiet realignments toward the African Democratic Congress (ADC) suggest the political chessboard is still in motion.

With Kefas now flying the APC flag, Taraba’s political equilibrium has been disrupted.

Ethnic balancing, zoning considerations, and the “godfather factor” may shape the next electoral battle.

Whether this defection ushers in development or deeper political rivalry remains to be seen.

But one thing is clear: Taraba has entered a new political chapter — and 2027 promises to be decisive.

The National Assembly has passed the 2026 Electoral Act Amendment Bill after heated and, at times, rowdy sessions in both chambers, approving electronic transmission of election results while retaining a manual backup in cases of network failure.

The Senate of Nigeria and the House of Representatives ratified Clause 60, which mandates the electronic transmission of results from polling units to the IReV portal.

However, lawmakers rejected calls for mandatory real-time transmission without exceptions, retaining a proviso that allows Form EC8A to serve as the primary source of collation where electronic transmission fails.

In a significant amendment, lawmakers reduced the timeline for election notification from 360 days to 300 days before the poll.

The decision followed concerns raised after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced February 20 for the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections and March 6 for governorship and state assembly polls — dates that may clash with Ramadan and the Christian Lenten season.

If assented to by the President, the new timeline will give INEC more flexibility in adjusting election dates.

Proceedings in the Senate turned tense as senators debated the controversial proviso in Clause 60(3). Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe demanded a formal division, triggering heated exchanges on the floor.

After voting, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced that 55 senators voted to retain the proviso allowing manual transmission in the event of network failure, while 15 voted for mandatory real-time electronic transmission without exceptions.

Akpabio described the amendment as a balance between innovation and electoral stability, noting that polling unit results uploaded to IReV would enhance transparency while preventing repeated elections due to technical glitches.

The House of Representatives also witnessed dramatic scenes, including protests and a walkout by opposition lawmakers who rejected the inclusion of the manual backup clause.

Minority lawmakers insisted that in cases of conflict between electronically uploaded results and Form EC8A, the IReV results should prevail. However, the majority, largely from the All Progressives Congress, voted to retain the proviso.

House leadership defended the process as consistent with parliamentary rules, describing the heated exchanges as “democracy in action.”

Direct Primaries, Consensus Mode Approved
Another key amendment approved by lawmakers is the adoption of direct primaries and consensus mode for the selection of party candidates.

The bill was reconsidered following a motion for rescission moved by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, enabling lawmakers to address drafting inconsistencies and adjust provisions in light of INEC’s announced timetable.

With harmonisation completed by the Conference Committee of both chambers, the bill now awaits presidential assent.

Lawmakers expressed confidence that the amendments would strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A former National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barrister Mark Jacob, has urged Nigerians to ignore former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, describing his recent controversies as a bid for public attention.

Speaking exclusively to Newsheadline on the former governor’s arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Jacob said El-Rufai thrives on attention and should be left to “fight the battle with the APC he helped bring to power.”

El-Rufai wants to be heard and the more attention you give to him, the more he enjoys it,” Jacob said, accusing the former governor of reaping the consequences of political decisions made during his time in power.

Jacob further criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that the party’s leadership since 2015 has worsened Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges.

He argued that issues such as insecurity and civil service reforms in Kaduna State should take precedence over political controversies.

However, political analyst Suleiman Abubakar offered a different perspective, stressing that the matter should be viewed strictly through the lens of the rule of law.

He referenced El-Rufai’s reported admission during a television interview that the phone of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, had been tapped for his benefit an act he described as a serious legal and national security concern.

When a public figure admits on national television that a sensitive communication was intercepted, the issue transcends politics and becomes a legal matter,” Abubakar said.

He argued that in any democratic society, such an admission should trigger an investigation to determine whether due process was followed or whether the interception was unlawful.

No individual, no matter how highly placed, should be above scrutiny,” he added, cautioning against framing legitimate legal processes as political persecution.

An APC stalwart, Alhaji Suleiman Haruna, also weighed in, saying Nigerians are watching closely to see whether justice will be applied fairly if wrongdoing is established.

The unfolding developments have intensified political tensions, with observers divided between claims of political rivalry and calls for strict adherence to constitutional due process.

President Bola Tinubu has called for urgent reforms to the global financial architecture, arguing that African countries are paying excessively high borrowing costs due to persistent misjudgements by dominant international credit rating agencies.

In an opinion article, Tinubu said Africa continues to bear the burden of an “Africa premium” — a gap between how the continent’s economies are assessed and their underlying fundamentals.

Africa is paying too much to borrow, he wrote, insisting that calls to correct the imbalance can no longer be ignored.

The President singled out the world’s three major rating agencies — Fitch Ratings, Moody’s, and S&P Global Ratings — saying their assessments wield outsized influence over investor decisions and Africa’s access to global capital.

According to Tinubu, these agencies often fail to accurately reflect local economic realities, relying partly on subjective judgements about political risk and institutional strength, with limited on-the-ground presence across the continent.

He cited a 2023 report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which estimated that perceived rating distortions cost Africa about $75 billion annually in excess interest payments and lost lending opportunities.

Despite projections by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that Africa will be the world’s fastest-growing region this year, only three African countries currently hold investment-grade ratings.

Tinubu described plans to establish an African credit rating agency as a “necessary corrective,” arguing that such a body could better capture reform momentum and local realities in real time. However, he stressed that any continental agency must build credibility through transparent, comprehensive and timely data trusted by global investors.

Highlighting Nigeria’s recent economic reforms, Tinubu pointed to improvements in data transparency, the rebasing of GDP, publication of additional budget documents, removal of fuel subsidies and exchange-rate liberalisation as steps that have strengthened fiscal management and supported non-oil growth.

He noted that while Nigeria has seen credit upgrades and strong investor appetite — with its November dollar-denominated bonds reportedly oversubscribed 5.5 times — ratings adjustments often lag behind reform efforts.

Downgrades become self-fulfilling, raising borrowing costs and straining public finances,” he warned, adding that smaller African economies bear the brunt of delayed upgrades.

Tinubu concluded that Africa’s rise represents not just a regional ambition but a global opportunity, noting that by mid-century the continent will account for a quarter of the world’s working-age population.

Africa’s success is not a regional concern but a global opportunity,” he wrote, urging a level playing field in global capital markets.