For his bold and unprecedented reform of Nigeria’s tax administration, including the deployment of technology, data and strategic intelligence leading to the highest ever tax revenue collection of N6.405 trillion in a year, Muhammad Mamman Nami is the LEADERSHIP Public Servant of the Year 2022
Muhammad Mamman Nami, the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), is a seasoned tax, accounting and management professional with high qualifications and professional practising licences from various professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigation Professionals in Nigeria, Association of National Accountants in Nigeria, and Institute of Debt Recovery Practitioners of Nigeria.
Nami has over three decades of practical working experience in auditing, tax management and advisory and management services in the banking, manufacturing and public sectors as well as in non-profit organisations.
Before his entry into public service, Nami was renowned for his expertise in rendering advisory support services to investors in respect of new businesses, especially those in the trading, service and manufacturing sectors.
He attended Bayero University, Kano, and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Sociology (1991) and a master’s degree in Business Administration (2004) respectively.
He started his career with PKF Consulting in 1993 and rose to the position of senior consultant in charge of tax management and advisory services before he left to set up Manam Professional Services (Chartered Tax Practices and Advisers) based in Kaduna, Abuja and Minna, where he served as the managing partner from October 2018 to December 2019, before his appointment as executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Nami has served on the board of many companies as well as on many statutory board audit committees. He was appointed as a member of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Stolen Assets in November 2017 by President Buhari.
He was, thereafter, appointed by President Buhari as the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service on December 9, 2019. In addition to this role, Nami is also the chairman, Joint Tax Board and the immediate past chairman of African Tax Administrators Forum (ATAF). In November 2021, he was elected president of the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators (CATA) for a three-year tenure. These roles have invariably conferred on him the platform to contribute to the growth and development of taxation in Nigeria, Africa and the Commonwealth of Nations.
Nami has since proved bookmakers right – that he is more than equal to the task. In 2021, under his leadership, the FIRS achieved a collection of N6.405 trillion – the highest collection it has ever recorded in its history, and its first time of crossing the N6trillion mark. He is celebrated for introducing unprecedented reforms in Nigeria’s tax administration, including the deployment of technology, data and strategic intelligence for improved revenue generation.
The FIRS boss has attracted a number of awards and recognition to the FIRS and himself. In October 2022, he was conferred with the Excellence in Public Service Awards for Fiscal Reforms at the FIRS by President Buhari.
Nami is happily married and has children.
