ActionAid cautions

Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has set a July 31 deadline for all large taxpayers to fully adopt the national e-invoicing and electronic fiscal system (EFS).

This follows a public notice issued by NRS on February 17, 2026, on the implementation timeline and the mandatory adoption of the national e-invoicing and EFS, otherwise known as the Merchant Buyer Solution (MBS).

The public notice, signed by the NRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, informed all large taxpayers of the need to complete onboarding, integration, and testing, and to commence invoice transmission to the NRS e-invoicing platform in accordance with the prescribed implementation framework.

The Special Adviser on Media to the chairman, Dare Adekanmbi, in a statement yesterday, said NRS has already commenced compliance monitoring activities to assess the level of adherence to the e-invoicing mandate among large taxpayers.

“Consequently, any defaulting member may be subjected to appropriate regulatory and enforcement actions in accordance with the provisions of the relevant tax laws and regulations.

“Affected taxpayers are, therefore, advised to urgently conclude all outstanding onboarding and integration activities and commence invoice transmission before the compliance deadline.

“The NRS appreciates the cooperation of taxpayers and remains committed to providing the necessary support to ensure the successful implementation of the national e-invoicing regime,” the notice said.

Large taxpayers are companies with a gross turnover of N5 billion and above. As of the first quarter of this year, over 1,000 companies had complied.

Compliance with the e-invoicing and Electronic Fiscal System requires completing onboarding on the NRS Merchant Buyer Solution (MBS) and successfully integrating taxpayer systems through approved Access Point Providers (APPs) and/or Systems Integrators (SIs).

Others are completion of all required validation and testing activities; active transmission of invoices to the NRS e-invoicing platform in line with approved standards and guidelines; and ensuring the receipt of only compliant e-invoices with a valid Invoice Reference Number (RIN) from suppliers.

MEANWHILE, ActionAid Nigeria’s General Assembly and Board of Directors have called on the Federal Government and National Assembly to review the tax’s impact on small businesses.

They also called on them to provide relief or phased timelines where needed, and ensure that the revenue it generates is clearly tracked and spent specifically on primary healthcare in underserved communities, rather than absorbed into general government spending.

The Board of Directors noted this at its Annual General Meeting on Saturday.

They said Nigeria’s external reserves had grown to about $51.5 billion as reported, but that total public debt has also increased to N156.28 trillion.

They said with $11.6 billion set aside for debt servicing in 2026 alone, more than Nigeria spends on education, health, and agriculture combined.

ActionAid said most recently, the World Bank warned that despite recent reforms, 79% of Nigerians remain poor or vulnerable to falling into poverty.

They said the National Bureau of Statistics also reported a June headline inflation rate of 15.91 per cent, as food prices continue to rise, petrol sells above N1,100 per litre, transport remained high, and the N70,000 minimum wage cannot sustain a family anywhere in the country.

They said the recent reductions in the ex-depot price of petrol by the Dangote Refinery have not provided sufficient relief, as petrol still sells above N1,100 per litre, increasing transport and food costs.

They called on civil society organisations, the media, faith communities, and all Nigerians to continue to speak up.

They urged them to hold the government accountable and stand with the families whose children are still waiting to come home.

“ActionAid Nigeria remains committed to standing with people living in poverty and exclusion, to pursuing social justice and gender equality, and to ensuring that Nigeria’s development does not leave the most vulnerable behind,” they said.