FIRS: Profile Of Zacch A. Adedeji, New Acting Chairman

Mr. Zaccheus Adelabu Adedeji has been appointed as the Ag. Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Until his appointment on Thursday, he served as the Special Adviser on Revenue to the President.

Academic life

Zaccheus Adedeji is from Oyo State. He holds a first-class degree in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

He proceeded to have a Masters degree in Accounting from the same institution. He didn’t stop there as his quest for more knowledge led him to obtain a PhD in Public Sector Finance at the same institution.

He holds a certificate in Comparative Tax Policy and Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

He is a Fellow of ICAN and CITN.

Career 

Adedeji had an impressive career trajectory. He worked at Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) later becoming a Manager.

He became a Commissioner for Finance, in Oyo State during the period from 2011 to 2015 under Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration.

He later occupied the position of Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).

His tenure in Oyo State was marked by significant achievements, including spearheading a team of fewer than 50 individuals to establish a Medium-Term Financial (MTF) strategy that enhanced the overall framework of financial and budgetary management in the state.

This strategy led to financial reporting excellence, resulting in sustainable growth in cash flow for recurrent and capital expenditures, including the timely funding of the construction of over 200 roads and bridges, as well as road repairs across the 33 Local Governments.

Notable accomplishments also include the implementation of a minimum wage increase from N7,500 to N19,000 and the addition of a 13th-month salary for civil servants in the state.

Additionally, his efforts resulted in annual budgetary savings of N7.2 billion through state finance process efficiencies.

During his tenure, he maintained a record of not incurring new state debt and reduced the state’s debt exposure by 50%.

Beyond his public service, Mr. Adedeji is the co-founder and managing partner of RTR, a financial consulting firm that offers financial advisory and policy development services to public administrators and private institutions in West Africa.