FIRS Seals OPay Offices in Lagos and Abuja Over Alleged Tax Violations

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has reportedly sealed the Lagos and Abuja offices of fintech company OPay over alleged violations of the provisions of the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, particularly relating to Value Added Tax (VAT) and Companies Income Tax (CIT).

According to reports, officials of the tax authority carried out an enforcement operation at OPay’s offices in both cities, placing official notices that sealed the premises. The notices reportedly warned that the seals must not be removed without the authorization of the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, indicating that the action is part of an ongoing compliance dispute between the fintech company and Nigerian tax authorities.

OPay, a Chinese-backed digital payment platform that entered the Nigerian market in 2018, has grown rapidly to become one of the most widely used mobile payment services in the country. The company provides financial services including money transfers, bill payments, and merchant payment solutions to millions of users across Nigeria.

The enforcement action has raised broader concerns about the regulatory oversight of foreign technology platforms operating within Nigeria’s expanding digital economy.

Commenting on the development, public policy analyst Emmanuel Adeniyi, Executive Director of the Coalition for Indigenous Digital Advancement, said the situation reflects a pattern often seen with global technology platforms entering emerging markets.

“The playbook is consistent. You see rapid market penetration, then a prolonged period of resistance whenever regulators begin to ask questions about where money is going and who it ultimately serves,” he said.

The development comes at a time when governments around the world are increasing regulatory scrutiny of international technology companies. In the United States, concerns about the ownership structure and data practices of the social media platform TikTok led to significant regulatory pressure during the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

In Nigeria, regulators have also begun paying closer attention to how foreign digital platforms operate within the country’s financial and data ecosystems.

As investigations and regulatory actions continue, industry observers say the outcome of the dispute could have significant implications for regulatory compliance and the future of digital payment platforms in Nigeria.