FG engages banks on digital revenue platform to boost transparency

The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to strengthen revenue collection and curb leakages by engaging the banking sector on the Revenue Optimisation Assurance Platform, a digital system designed to improve transparency and accountability in public finance management.

Speaking at a sensitisation workshop organised by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mohammed Danjuma, said the platform was introduced to modernise revenue collection across government agencies.

He described RevOp as a centralised digital platform that enables federal agencies to generate, collect, monitor and report revenues in real time.

According to him, the initiative is intended to replace the fragmented manual processes that have long undermined efficient revenue administration in the country.

“RevOp serves as a critical tool in the government’s drive to improve revenue administration, reduce leakages, and enhance public sector accountability,” he said.

The minister reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to boosting revenue generation, strengthening accountability and deploying technology to improve efficiency in public financial management.

He noted that despite the progress recorded since the platform’s rollout, some operational challenges remain, particularly among banks and frontline personnel responsible for processing payments.

According to him, a number of banking officers are yet to fully understand the platform, its objectives and the procedures required to support transactions conducted through it.

“These challenges, though operational in nature, have significant impacts on the overall customer experience and effectiveness of the initiative. This is precisely why we are here today,” he said.

Edun stressed that the success of the platform depends largely on collaboration between government institutions and financial service providers.

He noted that banks have a responsibility beyond merely collecting payments, adding that they are expected to ensure government revenue collection processes remain seamless and accessible to users.

“Today’s sensitisation session has, therefore, been organised to deepen understanding of the platform, clarify operational processes, address concerns, and establish stronger communication channels between the project team and participating financial institutions.

“We expect that the knowledge shared here will cascade throughout your respective organizations, especially to branch operations, customer service personnel, and tellers who interact directly with customers on a daily basis,” he added.

The minister assured stakeholders that the government would continue to work with financial institutions and other relevant partners to address implementation challenges and improve the effectiveness of the platform.

In her remarks, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, said the government adopted the revenue optimisation platform as a strategic tool to improve revenue collection, monitoring, reconciliation and reporting.

Madein, represented by her Chief of Staff, Felix Ogundairo, said the system would provide greater visibility into government revenues, improve compliance, eliminate leakages and support data-driven decision-making.

“This engagement, therefore, provides an opportunity for us to discuss implementation challenges, align expectations, clarify operational issues, and strengthen the partnership necessary for the success of the application,” she said.

Also speaking, the Director of Revenue and Investment at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Adebayo Adewale, disclosed that more than 70 per cent of federal government-owned entities had already been integrated into the platform.

He explained that RevOp is a government-owned solution managed by the OAGF to streamline revenue collection and eliminate operational silos across agencies.

“Today’s sensitization is aimed at bringing to your knowledge that RevOp generates the bill and collects federal government revenue using the existing licensed payment solution system providers and commercial banks nationwide.

“This is very critical because people shall be presenting REVOP bill to commercial banks for payment, and we expect prompt collection,” he said.

The Product Manager of RevOp, Idris Dosunmu, said the platform brings together billing, payment and settlement processes within a single digital framework.

According to him, all transactions pass through secure channels, ensuring transparency from the point of bill generation to final remittance into government accounts.

“This will ensure that every penny due to the federal government goes into the coffers of the government,” Dosunmu said.

The Revenue Optimisation Assurance Platform forms part of the Federal Government’s broader public finance reform agenda aimed at improving revenue collection, reducing leakages and strengthening transparency across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Approved by the Federal Executive Council, the platform enables real-time monitoring and reconciliation of government revenues and expenditures while integrating with other digital financial management systems to improve accountability.

Earlier this month, the Federal Government disclosed that 31 MDAs had already been onboarded onto the platform, with plans to bring more agencies into the system as part of efforts to achieve full financial transparency and probity in public sector operations.

Officials say the initiative is expected to curb fraud, strengthen oversight of public funds and support the government’s drive to increase non-oil revenue through technology-driven solutions.