Zacch Adelabu Adedeji, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), is a man of unusual brilliance and native intelligence. He is an industrious, brilliant, vibrant, result-oriented and accomplished professional, committed to efficiency. Additionally, he is a tax expert with a strong philosophy. Adedeji’s tax philosophy is centered around fairness and simplicity. His mantra, “We tax the fruit, not the seed,” reflects his commitment to taxing prosperity, not poverty. This approach has made tax processes clearer and more cooperative, benefiting taxpayers across the board.
He has been a game-changer in Nigeria’s tax administration since his appointment. His leadership has transformed the FIRS into a beacon of efficiency, transparency, and innovation, making him a treasure that is no longer hidden.
One of Adedeji’s first major moves was the comprehensive restructuring of the FIRS. He envisioned a system that would work seamlessly for both the government and the people. Under his guidance, the agency has become more cohesive, adaptable, and driven by cutting-edge technology. This restructuring has re-defined how tax operations are conducted, bringing in unprecedented efficiency and transparency.
Prioritizing staff welfare is crucial to Adedeji wherever he had worked. At FIRS, he also recognized the importance of staff welfare in achieving the FIRS’s goals. He invested in the well-being of employees, understanding that a thriving workforce is the backbone of any successful organization. By valuing his staff, Adedeji created an environment where employees felt motivated and valued, leading to improved performance and a new standard of excellence within the agency.
Innovating for a better tomorrow is part of Adedeji’s culture. So, has also been instrumental in integrating innovation into the FIRS’s operations. He led the introduction of some new modules into the TaxProMax system, automating over 80 percent of previously manual processes. This move has significantly reduced inefficiencies and made life easier for taxpayers. Additionally, Adedeji’s “One Stop Shop” approach has streamlined tax office operations, providing fast, transparent, and efficient services.
Adedeji is also concerned with combating corruption and promoting integrity. His commitment to these is evident in his launch of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) with the backing of the ICPC. This initiative aims to combat corruption and uphold integrity in tax administration. Furthermore, Adedeji is leading the National Single Window Project (NSWP), which promises to transform Nigeria’s trade sector with a unified digital platform for import and export activities .
A leader with vision and expertise, Zacch’s story should be a model for Nigerian youths who want to do well in society. Due to his power of character and exceptional brilliance and experience, at age 33, he became commissioner for Finance in Oyo State between 2011 and 2014.
Zacch hails from Iwo Ate town, a mainly agrarian community, in Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo State. His father was a cocoa farmer while mother is a trader-cum-farmer. He spent considerable time assisting his father and tilling the ground with his mother in the farm. But while doing that, he made up his mind that the quest to acquire education was a battle of his life. That quest for education took him to the Federal Polytechnic in Ede. While going to school, he was also assisting his father in his cocoa farming. Zacch could not have chosen any other course in his post-secondary educational pursuit other than accountancy. He was his father’s bookkeeper for the sale of cocoa produce.
At the Federal Polytechnic in Ede, Osun State, where he studied Accountancy for his Ordinary National Diploma, Zacch came out with a distinction. Rather than return for his HND, he opted to further his studies at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, where he read management and accounting and finished with First Class honours. He did not allow the death of his father at about the time he was starting at Ife to extinguish his hope of having functional university education. Those who knew him in school said he was an embodiment of the humble background he hailed from. Yet, he paraded a brilliance that is rare among youths of his age.
After his national service, he worked with P & G, an American multinational, until 2011. Then former Oyo State Governor, late Senator Abiola Ajimobi recruited him upon coming in contact with his deposit of human intelligence. At age 33, he was appointed head of Oyo State’s Finance ministry till 2015,
Before serving in Ajimobi’s cabinet, Zacch was already at the management level at P&G. He saved the company hundreds of millions of dollars in needless expenditure and deployed his financial wizardry to catapult the company’s profit to new heights. For this exceptional display, the company dispatched him to one of the best business schools in Switzerland to share his experience with them. This feat earned him a seat at the management cadre of the American goods company earlier than any young recruit by the firm. He rose to become the Corporate Finance Manager for West Africa.
It was at that time that he met a great leader, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, sometime in 2009. He was just attending to what he would ordinarily consider a routine payment query when they met. Ajimobi was happy to meet a young chap from Oyo State making waves at such a company. From that time, a journey of mentoring, love and support that would remain with Zacch for a lifetime started. It was a meeting that also changed his trajectory from the private sector to the public sector. So, Ajimobi appointed him Finance Commissioner for Oyo State at age 33.
Notable among his achievements include: raising Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from about N600 million monthly to about N2 billion in a short period, blocking leakages by streamlining government bank accounts through which a lot of money was haemorrhaged from about 100 to about 10.
Apart from his professional achievements, Zacch is also a kind and compassionate person. While in Ajumobi’s government, Zach’s name was a refrain on many people’s lips. He helped the needy with a baffling resolve that speaks to his desire not to forget where he came from. A story was told of a woman he once encountered on the Oyo/Ogbomoso road whose baskets of tomatoes were flung off the moving taxi one morning. The woman was said to have thrown herself on the road, literally asking death to come and finish her up as all her investments had been incinerated by those mangled tomatoes. Having driven past, Adedeji was said to have asked his driver to reverse the vehicle. He reportedly uplifted the benumbed woman with a cash gift which, till date, the distressed woman must have concluded came from a benevolent angel sent from heaven. His quip was said to have been, if his mother had been faced with such fatality while he was in Iwo-Ate, he probably would not have risen to where he is today.
Towards the last days of December 2017, Zacch was appointed chairman of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU, Teaching Hospital, Bauchi by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Later on Buhari also appointed him to head the National Sugar Development Council. As executive secretary of that agency, Zacch left an indelible mark, raising standards and re-engineering processes to deliver better quality service and increased productivity. When tapped as Special Adviser on Revenue by President Bola Tinubu, a lot of people speculated he would ultimately head the country’s tax agency, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Zacch, as the executive chairman of FIRS, has brought unprecedented transformation to the agency within a short period, making a record-breaking revenue collection.
Under Adedeji’s leadership, the FIRS has achieved remarkable revenue collection milestones. FIRS, under Zacch, surpassed tax revenue target in 2023, leading to a higher revenue benchmark of N19.4 trillion set by government for 2024. These achievements demonstrate Adedeji’s exceptional ability to drive revenue growth and set new performance standards.
Dr. Zacch Adedeji’s impressive track record at the FIRS is a testament to his exceptional leadership, vision, and expertise. His ability to drive reform, innovation, and revenue growth has positioned him as a key player in Nigeria’s economic development. As he continues to steer the FIRS towards greater heights, one thing is certain – the treasure is no longer hidden, and Zacch Adedeji is leading the way.