FIRS Seals OPay Offices in Lagos and Abuja over Tax Act Breaches
Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has sealed the Lagos and Abuja offices of fintech firm OPay. The action follows alleged violations of the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, including unpaid Value Added Tax (VAT) and Companies Income Tax (CIT). Tax agency officials posted notices on both premises, warning that seals must not be removed without authorisation from the FIRS Executive Chairman. The move highlights an ongoing compliance dispute between Nigerian regulators and the fast-growing digital payments platform. OPay, backed by Chinese investors and operating in Nigeria since 2018, has seen rapid market uptake. Public policy analyst Emmanuel Adeniyi of the Coalition for Indigenous Digital Advancement says this pattern is common: “You see rapid market penetration, then resistance when regulators question money flows and ultimate beneficiaries.” This development comes as nations worldwide step up scrutiny of foreign tech firms. In the US, similar concerns have targeted TikTok’s ownership and data handling. Nigerian authorities are now intensifying oversight of how international digital platforms operate within local financial and data ecosystems.
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