FG Halts FRC’s Turnover-Based Levy, Introduces N25m Cap for PIE in Private Sector

Federal Government has halted the implementation of the controversial turnover-based annual dues imposed by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and has introduced a N25 million cap for Public Interest Entities (PIEs) in the private sector.

This was disclosed on Sunday by Dr Jumoke Oduwole, minister Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

“To provide immediate clarity, the Minister has directed the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to apply an interim cap on annual dues payable by private sector PIEs at N25m, aligned with the cap already in place for publicly listed entities under the legislation.

“This directive creates a stable environment for compliance for affected companies in the short term and reflects the Ministry’s commitment to prioritizing transparency, investor confidence, and regulatory equity while allowing the Ministry of Justice to appropriately determine the longer-term path for seeking legislative amendments on behalf of the Federal Government, if required,” the ministry declared.

The decision followed sustained pressure and advocacy from leading industry groups, including the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), who expressed serious concerns about the Financial Reporting Council (Amendment) Act 2023.

At the heart of the outcry was the reclassification of large private companies as PIEs, which subjected them to annual dues ranging from 0.02 per cent to 0.05 per cent of turnover—without any upper limit.

This was in stark contrast to the fixed ₦25m levy applied to publicly listed companies, regardless of their size or market value.

Responding to these concerns, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment convened a high-level stakeholder engagement in March 2025, aimed at addressing the implications of the amended Act and preserving a fair regulatory environment.

Following a formal public consultation held on March 26, 2025, the Ministry announced an administrative pause on the implementation of the turnover-based levies.

The ministry explained, “In line with this commitment, the Technical Working Group coordinated by the Ministry, comprising NECA, MAN, ALTON, NACCIMA, PFPTRC, CAC, and SEC, along with a robust team from the FRCN, met six times over a three-week period for stakeholder consultations.”

The ministry narrated that after six rounds of stakeholder meetings over a three-week period, the Working Group submitted a detailed report to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment on April 17, 2025.

The Minister subsequently briefed President Bola Tinubu, highlighting the disproportionate burden the policy placed on affected companies and its potential to harm investor confidence.

It added, “These engagements culminated in a report assessing the implications of Section 33D of the FRC (Amendment) Act 2023 submitted to the Honourable Minister on April 17, 2025, the Minister of industry trade and investment provided a detailed briefing to Mr. President on the critical concerns raised by organized private sector stakeholders prior to the implementation of the administrative pause and made recommendations based on the submitted report and affirms that the administrative pause will be maintained in the mid- to long-term, pending a broader legislative review.”