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Tax Default: God is Good Motors Knocks FIRS, Demands Retraction
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s leading transport franchise, God Is Good Motors (GIGM), has demanded the removal of its name from a published list of tax defaulters by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The firm said it has fully paid documented tax liability as demanded by the services, wondering how it could have defaulted after meeting all obligations.
It claimed that no prior demand notices were served on the firm in any of its branches nationwide as required by Sections 32 (d) and 33(1) of the FIRS Establishment Act before publication of its name among defaulters.
In a nine-point rejoinder dated August 21 signed by Finance Director of GIGM, Mr Joseph Osanipin, the firm described FIRS’ action as “totally unacceptable, unprofessional and unethical.”
It said the embarrassing development was ”negatively affecting our mutual business dealings with both our foreign and local partners,” urging the FIRS to reverse it with immediate effect.
The rejoinder titled: “Unpleasant and unlawful publication of our company name as tax defaulters on print and social media” reads: “Sequel to your publication of names of tax defaulters on Public Media, amongst which our Company’s name was maliciously included, we respond thus:
“Our Company; God is Good Motors Nigeria Limited is a duly registered Company in Nigeria with full compliance with the requirements of all relevant Government Agencies one of which is the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
“That the above stated Account name with Zenith Bank GOD IS GOOD MOTORS (VEHICLE SALESS A/C) is not a different Company nor a subsidiary of our company stated above, rather it is the same company but with a modified account name for ease of reconciling our transactions.
“We registered our Business with the Federal Inland Revenue Service as far back as 2010 with a Taxpayer Identification Number: 09568000-0001, with all documented tax liability fully paid up as demanded by the service.
“FIRS has carried out series of Tax Audits on our Company with the latest being May, 2018 vide a letter from your same head office dated 18th April, 2018 and signed by the Director of Tax Audit Department which I suppose you could verify from your internal records.
“We find it totally unacceptable, unprofessional, and unethical the manner in which our account name above was published on public media.
“This is a malicious attempt at smearing the good name and brand we have struggled to build over the years without even a demand notice served on us as stipulated in the FIRS Establishment Act Section 32 (d)….” the Service shall serve a demand notice upon the company or person in whose name a tax is chargeable and if payment is not made within one month from the date of the-service of such demand notice, the Service may proceed to enforce payment under this Act”
“Also Section 33(1) of the FIRS Establishment Act also states:…” Without prejudice to any other power conferred on the Board for the enforcement of payment of tax due from a company, where an assessment has become final and conclusive and a demand notice has, in accordance with the provisions of the relevant tax laws tax in the First Schedule to this Act, been served upon the taxable person or upon the person in whose name the taxable person is chargeable, then, if payment of the tax is not made within the time limited by the demand notice, the Board may in the prescribed form, for the purpose of enforcing payment of the tax due”
“Both sections of the FIRS Establishment act stated above clearly states that a demand notice must be served on the intended taxpayer before enforcement procedures are carried out, hence we find it very embarrassing that no demand notices were served on us or any of our branches/outlets yet our name was published on public media as delinquent and defaulting taxpayers
“The FIRS should look into her records to confirm our points as stated in 1. – 8 above and update our records with your Agency to avoid any future embarrassment of this nature as our organization takes issues like this as topmost priority.
“A counter publication should be made to expunge our Company name from the list of tax defaulters as this is negatively affecting our mutual business dealings with both our foreign and local partners.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Mobility fintech, Moove, has raised $250 million in a Series C round, valuing the company at $2.1 billion, finally attaining a long-pursued unicorn status.
The round was led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s growth fund, and Ion Pacific. New backers BlueCrest Capital Management, Sona Asset Management and The Raptor Group also joined, alongside existing investors BlackRock, MUFG, Franklin Templeton, Uber and others.
The funding will help Moove expand its autonomous vehicle business by investing in fleet ownership and its robotics-powered depots, known as “Nests,” where autonomous vehicles are charged, maintained, serviced and managed for continuous operation.
Through its partnership with Waymo, Moove is already a leading third-party autonomous fleet operator, with operations live in Phoenix and Miami, and future operations in London.
The capital will also support the company’s expansion into new global markets. As part of the growth plan, Moove expects to increase its autonomous vehicle workforce by more than 220 per cent by the end of the year, growing from about 150 employees to around 500.
Moove said scaling autonomous mobility requires more than just self-driving vehicles. It also needs investment in fleets, charging infrastructure, maintenance facilities and operational systems. The company is building this supporting infrastructure to make autonomous transport reliable and scalable across cities.
Moove started in Africa in 2020 by financing cars for drivers working on ride-hailing platforms. It later entered the UAE, India, the US and the UK. The company also works with Uber, which joined a $100 million funding round in 2024 that valued Moove at $750 million. The new valuation is 2.8 times that level.
Speaking on the deal, the co-chief executive and Advisory Board Chairman of Moove, Mr Ladi Delano, said, “Every major technology revolution becomes an infrastructure race. The internet required data centres. AI required compute. Autonomy requires fleets, charging, maintenance, data systems and 24/7 operations in every city – and that is what Moove is building. In our view, as autonomy scales, infrastructure ownership and operations will define the category leaders. We are building to be one of them.”
On his part, Mr Ali Eid AlMheiri, Executive Director of Diversified Assets, UAE Investments Platform at Mubadala, said: “As autonomous mobility moves from innovation to scaled deployment, the infrastructure supporting it becomes increasingly important. Moove is building an integrated operating platform that combines fleet ownership, operational capability, and technology to support the next phase of growth in autonomous mobility. This is particularly important for the UAE.”
Adding her input, Ms Betty Lee, Principal at Woven Capital (Toyota’s Growth Fund), said, “Moove has demonstrated an exceptional ability to execute across markets, building a global platform across traditional and autonomous vehicle fleets. The next wave of mobility is an infrastructure problem as much as a software one, and Moove is building the foundational layer to solve it.”
For Mr Michael Joseph, co-CEO & Co-Founder of Ion Pacific Limited, said: “We’ve partnered with the Moove team for more than five years, and their execution has consistently impressed us. As autonomous mobility moves from possibility to reality, Moove is building a critical infrastructure layer for the sector – one that is complex, adaptive and essential to scaling AVs. We’re excited to be part of that journey.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The corporate mobility solution from Bolt, Bolt Business, has expressed its desire to strengthen relationships with existing customers in Nigeria by introducing solutions tailored to industries with frequent employee mobility needs, including healthcare, financial services, legal services and logistics.
This is as the organisation, over the past 12 months, delivered double-digit growth in the country, driven by expanding adoption across multiple industries, growing demand from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and an increasing number of firms seeking cost-efficient alternatives to managing in-house transport fleets.
The Country Manager for Bolt for Business Nigeria, Mr Isaac Iroko, disclosed that the smarter mobility solutions being planned will improve visibility, simplify expense management and support business growth.
“Our focus remains on building products that create value for organisations of every size while delivering a seamless experience for their employees,” he stated.
Bolt Business has continued to experience an increasing demand from businesses seeking smarter, more efficient ways to manage employee transportation and business travel.
It serves organisations across a broad range of industries, including financial services, technology, healthcare, professional services, manufacturing, logistics, media, real estate and fast-growing consumer businesses.
The growth reflects a broader shift in how Nigerian businesses approach corporate mobility. Rather than maintaining expensive vehicle fleets or relying on fragmented transport arrangements, more organisations are adopting digital mobility platforms that offer greater transparency, control and operational efficiency.
“Businesses today are looking beyond transportation; they’re looking for smarter ways to optimise operations and manage costs.
“We’ve seen organisations across different sectors embrace Bolt Business because it gives them a simple, reliable and transparent way to manage employee travel, whether it’s daily commutes, client meetings or business trips.
“This growth demonstrates that corporate mobility is becoming an increasingly important part of business efficiency in Nigeria,” Mr Iroko stated.
Unlike traditional fleet management, Bolt Business enables companies to centralise transportation through a single platform, providing features such as centralised billing, trip reporting, spending controls and real-time visibility into employee travel. These capabilities help businesses improve oversight while reducing the administrative burden associated with corporate transportation.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To boost economic activities in Lagos Island and support residents, the chief executive of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Mr Bashir Are, sponsored the training of eight persons at the LagRide Drivers Academy through the LagRide Partner Programme.
Mr Are funded both the academy training and the vehicle costs, removing the two barriers that most frequently prevent qualified drivers from entering formal, structured employment in the mobility sector.
The beneficiaries were handed over keys to their vehicles at a ceremony in Lagos on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
They now operate a LagRide vehicle under the platform’s Drive To Own programme, which allows a Captain to earn daily income while working towards full ownership of the vehicle at the end of the agreed payment term.
“The initial capital required to be onboarded was never going to come from these young men, so we provided that intervention financially so that they can have good employment.
“Lagos is a megacity. My agency runs the largest gaming and fintech conference on the continent every year, and when those delegates arrive, we do not want them driven around in poor vehicles. This is also employment for our own people, and we have a great deal of unemployment and underemployment in this country.
“These Captains are from Lagos Island Local Government, and they can now take care of their own families. Let me be clear about one thing. This is not a project. It is a programme, and it continues,” Mr Are stated.
Also speaking, the chairman of LagRide, Ms Diana Chen, said, “Today is just a new beginning, and more and more people will come. More local governments will join us, and one day we want to bring the Governor here so that this programme runs across the state.
“LagRide is a platform where a person comes to take a job and ends up owning the vehicle. It is also a platform that any government, or any organisation with a social development or CSR mandate, can use to empower the people they want to support. The people get their own asset at the end of it.”
On her part, the lawmaker representing Lagos Island Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mrs Omolara Oyekan-Olumegbon, said, “Everyone keeps saying there are not enough jobs for our youths. This is our own way of ensuring that they are empowered.
“When you give a person money, it is money, and it finishes. This is the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching him how to fish. You are giving these young men something they can use to take care of themselves, their families and their homes.
“We must thank the chief executive of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority for doing this, and I must also thank Chief Diana Chen. Lagos Island is a commercial hub, and we intend to keep the flag flying. This is the beginning, and we will be coming back to ask for more.”
