News
Global Tech, Digital Giants Won’t Escape Tax in Nigeria- FG
Federal government has vowed big technology and digital companies with a significant economic presence in Nigeria, though without physical offices, won’t escape tax payments henceforth.
The government said it would rely on the provisions of the Finance Act 2019 to ensure that they no longer escape such payments.
It noted its decision was in tandem with ongoing international talks in Paris on global standard rules for governments to receive taxes from technology and digital firms with a significant economic presence in foreign countries.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo stated this during an interaction with a delegation from the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), led by Mr Adesina Adedayo, its president, at the Presidential Villa.
Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
“While the Federal Government will not be raising tax rates at this time, based on the Finance Act 2019, it is already empowered to widen the tax net.
“This includes collecting taxes on the Nigerian income of global tech giants with a significant economic presence here, even if they have not established an office or permanent establishment, and are currently not paying taxes in Nigeria.
“In this regard, Section 4 of the Finance Act 2019, provides that the finance minister, may by order of the president, determine what constitutes the significant economic presence of a company, other than a Nigerian company.
“We have had severe economic downturns, which of course implies that we may not be able to collect taxes with the aggressiveness that would ordinarily be expected.
“I think the most important thing is that we must widen our tax net so that more people who are eligible to pay tax are paying,” Osinbajo said.
Akande siad in the statement that the vice president also noted that several efforts had been made in that regard.
“I am sure you are aware of the initiatives including the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), which was also an attempt to bring more people into the tax net, including those who have foreign assets.”
According to the vice president, the Federal Government has also recently taken a step with respect to a lot of the technology companies that are not represented in Nigeria, but who do huge volumes of business in the country.
He said that the Finance Act had shown that Nigeria was prepared to ensure that the big technology companies did not escape without their fair share of taxation in Nigeria.
“Many of them do incredible volumes here in Nigeria and in several other parts of the region.
“We have drawn up the regulations and we are prepared to go, and I think that we are at least in a good place to tap into some of the tax resources we can get from some of these companies.
“Besides the Federal Government, a recent Bloomberg news article reported that “Governments around the world are grappling with how to modernise their legal frameworks to account for the global reach of the digital economy, reshaping how policymakers think about issues as varied as monopoly power, taxation and workers’ rights.”
He said that international talks were currently ongoing in Paris on global standard rules for governments to receive taxes from such digital and technology firms with a significant economic presence in foreign countries.
Osinbajo gave further explanations on legal provisions for the subject matter.
“In Nigeria, according to the Finance Act 2019, a company will pay taxes if it transmits, emits or receives signals, sounds, messages, images or data of any kind by cable, radio, electromagnetic systems, or any other electronic or wireless apparatus to Nigeria.
“This in respect of any activity, including electronic commerce, application store, high-frequency trading, electronic data storage, online adverts, participative network platform, online payments and so on, to the extent that the company has significant economic presence in Nigeria and profit can be attributable to such activity.”
He said that the Federal Government had no plans to raise taxes currently in reference to arguments that tax rates were too low, comparing Nigeria to other places in the region where the rates were much higher.
“So we have had to balance all of these issues because clearly, higher tax rates can be a disincentive to businesses and investments.
“In terms of domestic resource mobilisation, we are trying to do the best we can given the present circumstances and I believe that there is room for improvement.
“Actually, under the Finance Act 2019, the Federal Government has reduced taxes for small companies – companies with less than N25 million in annual turnover are charged Zero Company Income Tax, CIT.
“Also CIT for Companies with revenues between N25 million and N100m (described in the Act as “medium-sized” companies) has been reduced from 30 percent to 20 percent.
“Besides, Nigerians making minimum wage income are not to pay tax at all,” he said.
He said that under the 2020 Finance Act, there was also an exemption of small companies from payment of education tax under the Tertiary Education Trust fund (TETFUND), meaning companies with less than N25 million turnover were eligible.
Osinbajo added there was a 50 per cent reduction in minimum tax; from 0.5 per cent to 0.25 per cent for gross turnover for financial years ending between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021.
Earlier in his remarks, Adedayo commended the leadership of the vice president in the implementation of key government interventions in the economy.
“We acknowledge your great zeal and commitment to the Nigeria project,” he said.
Adedayo said the visit became necessary given the enormous work the administration had done towards addressing the huge fiscal challenges in the polity, public financing reforms, and sustained efforts towards addressing infrastructure deficit.
Pan-African talent accelerator ALX is expanding its footprint and shifting to a fully self-paced learning model to train and integrate young Africans into the workforce, as the global economy reorganises around artificial intelligence (AI).
Partnering with the MasterCard Foundation, the technology training provider and career accelerator designed to equip African talent, says it enables learners to access tech training for $5 a month.
It emphasises a shift in demographics saying that by 2035, more young Africans will enter the workforce annually.
ALX notes that its model has graduated 347,100 learners, with 63% finding employment within six months. Women represent over half of all graduates. To increase flexibility, the organisation emphasises that learning is now entirely self-paced.
“Learners progress through modular blocks, earning credentials as they go, ensuring that the training fits around their existing responsibilities,” says Shana-Michelle Rabonda, Chief Operating Officer of ALX.
Rabonda adds that global employers are taking notice: “We are building a direct pipeline to the global digital economy. When companies look for elite tech talent, they are looking at Africa.”
Due to this demand, firms such as Absa, Stanbic Bank, MTN, and KPMG now employ between 50 and 180 ALX graduates each. Meanwhile, community entrepreneurs have created over 60,100 jobs through AI startups like Signvrse and Edulga.
With Africa’s AI market projected to grow to $16.5 billion by 2030, ALX operates alongside competitors like Moringa School and GoMyCode to secure mindshare.
“With the right skills and networks, young Africans can seize these opportunities,” Rabonda emphasises. “Africa’s youth should not just be consumers of AI; they should be creators shaping innovations that will define the global economy.”
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the advertisement of a winding-up petition filed against telecommunications service provider, Swift Network Plc, over its alleged inability to settle a debt exceeding N115 million.
The order followed an application filed by Optics and Wireless Limited through its counsel, Bimbo Adebayo-Ogunlaja, urging the court to permit the publication of the winding-up petition instituted against the company.
In the petition, Optics and Wireless Limited alleged that Swift Network Plc is indebted to it in the sum of N115,482,302.88, being the outstanding payment for network devices supplied to the telecommunications firm since April 2024.
The petitioner is also seeking the payment of N70,530,062 as accrued interest arising from a loan facility allegedly obtained to finance the transaction between both parties, as well as general damages for breach of contract.
According to court documents, the dispute arose from a series of transactions carried out between April 2024 and February 2025, during which Swift Network Plc, through its procurement officer, allegedly requested the petitioner to manufacture and supply various network devices based on purchase orders issued by the company.
The petitioner stated that payment for the supplied items was expected either immediately after delivery or within 30 days of supply, but alleged that Swift Network repeatedly failed to honour the agreement despite receiving the products.
Optics and Wireless Limited further claimed that it became apparent after the final order for servers in April 2025 that the respondent was either unwilling or unable to settle the accumulated debt.
The petitioner also informed the court that its solicitors, Messrs Zionla Legal Practitioners & Solicitors, subsequently issued a statutory notice of demand dated December 11, 2025, demanding payment of the outstanding sum and accrued interest.
According to the petitioner, all efforts to recover the debt proved unsuccessful, adding that the situation has exposed the company to serious financial challenges and possible legal action from the bank that allegedly granted it the loan facility used to execute the supply contracts.
Optics and Wireless Limited argued that Swift Network Plc is insolvent and unable to meet its financial obligations, urging the court to wind up the company in line with the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act and the Winding-Up Rules.
Among the reliefs sought, the petitioner asked the court to order that Swift Network Plc be wound up by the court and that any voluntary winding-up process involving the company should continue under the supervision of the court.
Justice Lewis Allagoa subsequently adjourned the matter till July 10 for further hearing.
News
Simba Infrastructure, Galaxy Backbone Partner to Deliver Hosted Unified Communications and Call Centre Solutions Across Nigeria
Simba Infrastructure Limited, a leading provider of customer experience and communications technology, has entered into a strategic partnership with Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB), the Federal Government of Nigeria’s ICT infrastructure and shared services provider, to deliver Hosted Unified Communications (UC) and Hosted Call Centre Solutions to organisations across both the public and private sectors.
This collaboration brings together Simba Infrastructure’s deep expertise in converged communication technologies, systems integration, and private-sector engagement with Galaxy Backbone’s trusted government relationships, world-class Tier III and Tier IV data centre infrastructure, and an extensive fibre-optic network spanning 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Together, both organisations will deliver secure, scalable, and cost-effective communication solutions designed to transform how businesses and government institutions engage with customers and citizens.
Under this this partnership, Simba Infrastructure will lead business development efforts within the private sector, delivering tailored Unified Communications and Call Centre solutions aligned with the unique needs of enterprises. Galaxy Backbone, on the other hand, will drive adoption within the public sector, providing secure, locally hosted data centre services that ensure compliance, reliability, and operational efficiency.
Commenting on the partnership, Sanjay Vaswani, Director at Simba Infrastructure said: ”Simba is pleased to mark this first phase of collaboration, with a long-term vision of deploying fully localized, AI-driven technologies that enable developers to build and scale using Naira-based solutions.
“While Aminu Usman, Profit Centre Head at Simba Infrastructure tressed on the fact that partnering with Galaxy Backbone will marks a significant milestone in our mission to deliver innovative, cloud-based communication solutions to Nigerian organizations.
“By combining Galaxy Backbone’s robust infrastructure and strong public sector presence with Simba’s customer-centric approach and technological expertise, we are creating a powerful platform to drive digital transformation and business growth.”
Also speaking, the GM Strategic Partnerships & Regional Business, Galaxy Backbone Limited, Abdul-Malik Suleiman noted; “Galaxy Backbone remains committed to advancing digital inclusion, secure communication, and reliable ICT services across Nigeria. Our partnership with Simba Infrastructure strengthens our ability to deliver innovative, locally hosted Unified Communications and Call Centre solutions that will benefit both public and private sector organisations.”
This partnership underscores a shared commitment to advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda by equipping organisations with the tools to enhance collaboration, streamline communication, and improve customer experience—while ensuring that critical data remains securely hosted within Nigeria.
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