Dangote: Confirming What We’ve Always Known Zacch To Be At 47

By Sikiru Akinola

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, I watched with amazement as chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, extolled the virtues of the chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, for his smartness. While I wasn’t amazed as to the authenticity of Zacch’s smartness because I know him from close quarters, the amazement is that for Africa’s richest man, Dangote, to have noticed that indeed speaks volume. To me and many others, that notice, readily confirms what we’ve always known.

Zacch’s smartness didn’t start today. By now, people should have read about Zacch of Federal Polytechnic, Ede through to the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he had his first, second and third degrees. From Procter & Gamble, where he was before becoming Oyo State’s finance commissioner, Zacch has always demonstrated smartness.

So it was not surprising when President Bola Tinubu headhunted him from the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), where former president Muhammadu Buhari had put him to lead the change in national sugar master plan and grow revenue for the country, a task he did so well.

Impressed by his work ethic, especially as it relates to revenue collection, President Tinubu had directed him to go implement his beautiful tax ideas at the Federal Inland Revenue Service. From the almost N13 trillion FIRS collected in 2023 to the N19.4 trillion target in 2024, Zacch is relentless in the direction of getting funds available to finance important infrastructure the country desperately needs. His one year in FIRS has birthed major reforms, which have set the tone for better and improved tax collection.

Like I often say, Zacch’s trajectory has always been a case of opportunity meeting preparedness. As a regular visitor to his Ibadan and Lagos homes, one would marvel at the huge size of his library. And I remember, on one of such visits, asking him how he unwinds. His answer was straight – there is no time for that yet, as the reward for a work well done is more work. As a leader and intellectual, Zacch continues to read and update himself. Never forward anything you haven’t read to Zacch because he would raise points from there when you get to discuss, and you will be shocked to see that you are empty on that subject. I remember also that one of us re-echoed this sentiment that there is nothing Zacch assigns you to do that he cannot do himself.

So Dangote did not actually say what is new to some of us but only allowed the world to know how smart Zacch is. The first delivery of the premium motor spirit by the Dangote Refinery was made possible due to the effective implementation of the technical sub-committee ably led by Zacch.

From the announcement on naira for crude to the constant briefing on development about the delivery of PMS by the Dangote Refinery, Zacch gave his all. And Zacch had hinged government’s decision to sell crude in naira on its bid to lessen the heavy reliance on foreign exchange for crude oil imports.

I remember Zacch explaining further that by denominating transactions in naira, the federal government expects to significantly reduce its FOREX burden, with an estimated annual savings of around $7.3 billion.

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote is not a man of many words, though of many parts, and for him to have identified Zacch’s smartness speaks to the authenticity of the brilliant ideas in the head of Zacch, Nigeria’s current tax czar.

Popularly called Zacch, the FIRS boss is a man of many parts. Philanthropist. Intellectual. Family man. Problem solver. Technocrat. Zacch is generous to a fault that anyone who comes across him will mark the date in his or her calendar. In my close to 14 years of encountering Zacch, it has been testimony galore.

Born in a village of Iwo-Ate that is not even on the map of Oyo State, Zacch from his childhood days has shown uncommon qualities which stood him out among his peers. Those who have taught him at various stages of education confirm it.

.Akinola, who is Technical Assistant (Print Media) to the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, writes from Abuja.