The Federal Government has launched one of its most ambitious public finance overhauls, announcing sweeping reforms that mandate the full digitalization of all revenue collection processes starting January 1, 2026. This move marks a decisive break from manual and cash-based transactions, aiming to plug revenue leakages and enforce fiscal transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), led by Dr. Shamseldeen B. Ogunjimi, issued a series of circulars outlining strict new policies and severe sanctions for non-compliance.
The Three Pillars of Digital Reform
The overhaul is built on three non-negotiable directives:
1. Prohibiting Cash Collection
Effective January 1, 2026, the collection or acceptance of physical cash—in Naira or foreign currency—is strictly prohibited across all MDAs. This “No Physical Cash Receipt” policy directly enforces existing Treasury Single Account (TSA) and e-payment guidelines. Accounting Officers are warned they will be held personally liable for any breaches, with non-compliant MDAs facing the immediate disabling of their GIFMIS access and TSA Sub-accounts.
2. Mandating Full Gross Remittance
MDAs and Federal Government-Owned Enterprises (FGOEs) are immediately banned from the long-standing practice of making unauthorized direct deductions—such as charges or commissions—before remitting revenue. Gross revenue must now be remitted in full into the designated TSA, with service providers paid separately through approved TSA Sub-accounts.
3. Introducing the Federal Treasury e-Receipt (FTe-R)
The Federal Treasury e-Receipt (FTe-R) will become the sole legally recognized receipt for all federal government transactions from January 1, 2026. This receipt will be centrally generated on the new Revenue Optimization (RevOP) platform, ensuring a standardized, fraud-proof proof of payment and collection, effectively eliminating parallel channels of remittance.
The RevOP Platform: Unifying the Digital Infrastructure
The core technological backbone of the reform is the deployment of the Revenue Optimization (RevOP) platform. This unified system will automate revenue processes, integrate billing, and provide real-time treasury visibility.
The RevOP platform is designed to interface directly with all key components of Nigeria’s public finance infrastructure: the TSA, GIFMIS, CBN, NIBSS, FIRS, and collecting banks. The OAGF believes this marks “the most extensive consolidation of Nigeria’s digital public finance infrastructure in a decade,” ensuring all key systems operate in a unified digital environment to secure full audit trails and enable real-time monitoring.
The government expects these measures, which require full MDA compliance within 60 days, to save Nigeria billions of Naira annually by plugging long-standing revenue leakages and significantly advancing the nation’s anti-corruption and fiscal transparency agenda.
