By Chinenye Anuforo
With the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) electronic invoicing compliance mandate set to begin this month, Nigerian businesses are looking for effective ways to manage the new digital tax environment. Stepping up to meet this demand is Afri Invoice, a Nigerian fintech firm, which has introduced a comprehensive and user-friendly e-invoicing solution to help Nigerian and African entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) overcome their unique challenges.
Founded by Mr. Mark Odenore, Afri Invoice emerged from a direct understanding of the persistent hurdles Nigerian businesses encounter daily, chronic payment delays, inaccuracies in record-keeping, and the increasing imperative to comply with complex regulatory demands.
“The market was characterized by solutions that were either overly complicated for local businesses or developed primarily for Western markets without due consideration for African realities,” stated Odenore.
“Afri Invoice bridges this critical gap by providing an intuitive platform that directly serves Nigerian SMEs, rendering invoicing, payment tracking, and tax compliance both straightforward and economically viable”, he explained.
As a fintech entity, Afri Invoice combines cutting-edge technology with local market insights to empower businesses across the continent. Beyond just its core software, the company also actively champions financial literacy. It does this through dedicated educational programs, helping entrepreneurs grasp crucial concepts like taxes, invoicing, compliance, and basic digital finance. Mark Odenore stated that Afri Invoice was built to fit the FIRS e-invoicing framework, including the BIS 3.0 XML structure and Merchant Buyer Solution requirements.
This adherence ensures that businesses utilizing the platform will seamlessly meet the July 2025 compliance deadline without necessitating additional technical implementation. The platform integrates all mandatory compliance elements, including real-time invoice validation, automated submission readiness, and comprehensive audit trail maintenance.
Navigating Afri Invoice is straightforward and efficient. Businesses can easily set up their profiles and branding, add customer details and service catalogs, and then create professional, tax-compliant invoices, each with its own unique QR code. The system handles VAT calculations and FIRS formatting automatically, tracks payments in real-time through integrated local gateways, and even sends out automated reminders and monthly tax reports.
Elaborating on the substantial benefits for Nigerian businesses, the firm’s Founder and CEO added that Afri Invoice’s extensive feature set is consolidated into a single, cohesive platform, delivering a multitude of advantages. “Core Invoicing: Professional, FIRS-compliant invoices featuring QR code authentication, multi-currency support with live foreign exchange rates, and automated VAT calculation with integrated tax alerts.
Payment & Tracking: Users can monitor payment statuses in real-time, enjoying seamless integration with major local payment gateways like Flutterwave and Zenith Bank. The system also handles automated payment reminders.
Business Management: The platform provides strong customer and inventory databases, offers insightful monthly reports and analytics, includes an offline invoice drafting mode, and boasts a fully mobile-responsive design.
Mr. Odenore pointed out that these features together save businesses roughly 15-20 hours each month on administrative work, all while guaranteeing 100% compliance accuracy. He further noted that users commonly see a 40% faster invoice processing rate and a significant 60% improvement in payment collection times compared to traditional manual approaches.
Beyond just efficiency, Afri Invoice also brings substantial cost reductions. Users can significantly cut down on operational expenses by no longer needing external accountants, manual ledgers, or multiple separate applications. Businesses also avoid the financial pitfalls of costly tax penalties and losses from delayed payments. For larger organizations with unique requirements, customized enterprise solutions are also available.
To meticulously prevent errors, the platform uses advanced, built-in compliance logic that thoroughly validates every invoice before it’s sent. Key features designed to prevent errors include pre-validation of all necessary FIRS elements, QR authentication for clear traceability, smart tax application based on the transaction type, and proactive alerts for any missing information. This systematic and comprehensive method has led to an impressive 99.7% compliance rate among Afri Invoice users. Importantly, the platform’s core system is constantly updated to stay precisely aligned with changing FIRS requirements.
Afri Invoice offers structured, hands-on support. This includes automated FIRS-compliant invoice generation, a wealth of educational resources (like detailed guides, video tutorials, and webinars), and a dedicated Nigeria-based support team available via live chat, email, and WhatsApp. This multi-layered protective system, featuring pre-send validation, default rule application, deadline alerts, and a complete audit trail, has successfully enabled users to maintain a 100% penalty-free record to date, Odenore underscored, while urging businesses to take prompt action as the FIRS July 2025 deadline for e-invoicing rapidly approaches.