COMMUNICATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN NIGERIA’S FEDERAL INLAND REVENUE SERVICE (2000 – 2015)

Abstract

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is saddled with the responsibility of generating revenue, through taxation, in Nigeria where tax evasion and or avoidance is most prevalent among the people. Contrary to the non-performance that characterises the Nigerian public sector, FIRS in the last fifteen years present somewhat institutional productivity ascribed to a number of reforms. The communication aspect of the reform has been isolated for investigation in this work with a view to determining how it has impacted on the moderate success achieved in FIRS within the period under study and the possibility of replicating the feat in similar institutions at the state and local government levels. Survey research methodology was used and simple percentage and chi square analytical tools employed in the handling of the data. It was found out that communication was a major factor responsible for the productivity in FIRS notably communication of revenue target in clear terms to tax officers; training of FIRS officials in effective communication; communication with the tax-paying public in form of tax education and the essence of being faithful in the payment of their taxes. Among our recommendations are sustenance of the communication strategies including strengthening the existing modalities; collaboration in terms of training and exchange of expertise between the FIRS and various states and local governments’ revenue generating agencies with a view to replicating the success at the lower level of government