The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, has proposed partnerships with Nigerian universities to transform them into innovation hubs capable of addressing real-world challenges.

Adedeji made the announcement while delivering the 2025 Distinguished Lecture at the University of Ilesa, Osun State.

Speaking on “Economic Resilience in an Era of Dwindling Revenue,” he assessed Nigeria’s current financial landscape and outlined practical measures to strengthen the economy under the Bola Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He highlighted key reforms and initiatives by FIRS, including automation and digitisation, strategic tax reforms to expand and modernise the tax base, collaboration with states for tax harmonisation, and institutional repositioning to earn public trust.

Adedeji emphasized the need to restructure the economy beyond crude oil, advocating for multiple growth engines such as agro-processing, the digital economy, the creative industry, and solid minerals.

However, he noted that building economic resilience is not the government’s responsibility alone, stressing that academics and other stakeholders must contribute by producing research that addresses contemporary challenges.

The FIRS chairman expressed readiness to engage in partnerships supporting academic efforts to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Potential areas for collaboration include joint research on domestic revenue mobilisation, tax equity, or digitisation, as well as the establishment of tax policy innovation hubs for co-developing and testing scalable policy solutions.

Encouraging students to excel, Adedeji said, “In building a resilient Nigeria, we need minds that can think critically, hands that can build institutionally, and hearts that serve patriotically.”

He also took time to honor the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Taiwo Asaolu, who had been his lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Adedeji recalled how Asaolu had personally supported him financially during his early exams for the Institute of Chartered Accountants, enabling him to become a chartered accountant while still an undergraduate.

He recounted another instance during his ICAN final examinations when he was wrongly accused of cheating. Prof. Asaolu intervened by staking his own ICAN certificate and ensuring Adedeji could prove his innocence, ultimately saving him from a potential six-year ban. “That is why Professor Asaolu is not just my lecturer; he is my father,” Adedeji declared.

Earlier, Prof. Asaolu welcomed guests, noting that the young university aims to use public lectures as a platform to address pressing global and national issues while exploring sustainable solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.