Nigeria’s national mood is tense. The country is facing economic hardship, insecurity, public distrust in institutions, and an increasingly widening gap between citizens and their government. Yet, in the midst of this fragility, a quiet administrative action by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has sparked a storm of public concern, political accusations, and renewed debate over who truly controls Nigeria’s revenue system.
The controversy began when the FIRS quietly announced the appointment of Xpress Payment Solutions Limited, a fast-rising Nigerian fintech company, as a Treasury Single Account (TSA) collecting agent, effectively giving the company authority to process federal government tax payments through the TaxPro Max platform. With this appointment, taxpayers can now remit Company Income Tax, Value Added Tax, Withholding Tax, and other federal payments using XpressPay or the company’s in-branch e-Cashier platform.
At first glance, the move appears technical and harmless, perhaps even a necessary step to modernize Nigeria’s digital tax infrastructure. But almost immediately, outrage erupted across political, civil society, and economic circles. And within hours, the debate had escalated into what is now being framed as a national question: Is Nigeria witnessing the quiet re-emergence of a revenue cartel, this time on a federal scale?
A Tax Gatekeeper Emerges Silently
Xpress Payments is not an unfamiliar name in Nigeria’s fintech landscape. Incorporated in 2016, the company has grown steadily, offering secure payment gateways, switching services, and enterprise financial solutions. Its Acting Managing Director, Wale Olayisade, expressed delight at the appointment, describing it as a major milestone, “We are honoured to be selected by FIRS. Our systems are built to ensure ease, speed, and security for every transaction.”
He insisted that taxpayers would enjoy a seamless, transparent, and reliable experience.
Ordinarily, such remarks should settle nerves. But the public response was anything but calm. Citizens and political stakeholders immediately raised a torrent of questions:
– Why was this appointment announced quietly, without public consultation?
– What new value does Xpress Payments add that existing TSA channels, such as Remita, do not already provide?
– Were there competitive bids?
– What are the contract terms, and who benefits financially?
– Why concentrate such a sensitive national function in private hands at a time when transparency is already strained?
The silence from government circles only deepened the suspicion. In governance, especially around revenue, silence is not neutrality; it is oxygen for mistrust.
Atiku Abubakar Explodes: “This Is Lagos-Style State Capture”
The loudest reaction came from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who issued one of his most forceful statements in recent years. Atiku accused the Federal Government of attempting to replicate the same at a national scale. The controversial Lagos revenue model was dominated for years by Alpha Beta, a private firm accused of enjoying a monopoly over the state’s revenue pipeline.
In his words, “This is the resurrection of the Alpha Beta revenue cartel. What we are witnessing now is an attempt to nationalise that template.”
Atiku warned that the move could concentrate power around politically connected private actors, enabling them to sit at the centre of federal revenue flows. He questioned the timing, calling it insensitive given the nationwide grief over insecurity, “When a nation is mourning, leadership should show empathy, not expand private revenue pipelines.”
He issued five demands:
His final warning was blunt, “Nigeria’s revenues are not political spoils. They are the lifeblood of our national survival.”
The Ghost of Alphabeta: Why Nigerians Are Worried
For many Nigerians, this controversy triggers painful memories of earlier private-sector dominance over public revenue. The “Alphabeta era” in Lagos is widely remembered, fairly or unfairly, as a time when a single private company appeared to dominate the state’s tax collection landscape, shrouded in secrecy and controversy.
Nigeria’s fear is simple:
– If revenue collection becomes controlled by one or two private companies, transparency dies, and corruption flourishes.
– Allowing private entities to sit between taxpayers and government can create:
Each of these risks has real consequences for economic stability.
FIRS’ Defence: “It Is Only an Additional Option”
To be fair, the FIRS insists that Xpress Payments is only one of several available channels, not the exclusive gatekeeper. Remita and other payment service providers remain operational.
According to FIRS, the move is part of a broader effort to modernize and expand taxpayer options within the TSA. In a functional environment, this would be welcomed as healthy competition. But Nigerians are not reacting to the announcement; they are reacting to the pattern:
– Sudden appointments