Nigeria has recorded a breakthrough in its digital trade reforms with the global registration of its Tax Identification Number (Tax-ID) and the appointment of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as the country’s official Peppol Authority.

The milestone, achieved with the support of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), formally registers Nigeria’s Tax-ID under the ISO/IEC 6523 International Coding System, granting Nigerian individuals and businesses international recognition in cross-border transactions.

Peppol, an internationally accepted framework for secure and standardised electronic document exchange, is already widely deployed across Europe, Asia, and Australia. With Nigeria’s entry, local businesses can now plug into this global network — facilitating faster payments, lowering administrative costs, and boosting competitiveness.

FIRS described the development as a turning point for trade and compliance. “This milestone simplifies compliance for taxpayers, enables smoother cross-border transactions, and strengthens confidence in Nigeria as a global trade and investment hub,” the agency said in a statement.

Under the system, Tax-IDs derived from the National Identification Number (NIN) for individuals and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) numbers for businesses will now be internationally referenceable. The unified framework is expected to reduce duplication, errors, and compliance bottlenecks across federal and state tax platforms.

To complement the reform, FIRS has also unveiled the Merchant Buyer Solution (MBS), an e-invoicing platform that large taxpayers must integrate with by November 1, 2025. Medium and small businesses will be phased in gradually. The agency urged companies to validate Tax-IDs, upgrade accounting systems, and onboard early.

“The launch of MBS is a significant step in simplifying tax administration, closing compliance gaps, and positioning Nigeria to meet global standards in taxation and cross-border trade,” FIRS added.