Enterprise Fintech • Regulation • Large-Scale Systems Design
Enterprise • Large-Scale Design
Enterprise Fintech • Regulation • Large-Scale Systems Design
FIRS E-Invoicing Compliance Platform
FIRS E-Invoicing Compliance Platform
Designing Nigeria's national e-invoicing infrastructure for VAT compliance and audit-ready invoice generation.
Designing Nigeria's national e-invoicing infrastructure for VAT compliance and audit-ready invoice generation.
Role
Role
Lead Product Designer
Lead Designer
Scope
Scope
B2B · B2C
Deliverables
Large‑Scale Systems Design
Large‑Scale Design
Website
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) launched the Merchant–Buyer Solution (FIRSMBS) to modernise VAT compliance through a mandatory national e-invoicing system.
I worked as the Product Designer leading critical parts of the platform experience — designing secure onboarding, structured invoice generation workflows, and compliance-driven portal interactions across multiple stakeholder groups.
Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) launched the Merchant–Buyer Solution (FIRSMBS) to modernise VAT compliance through a mandatory national e-invoicing system.
I worked as the Product Designer leading critical parts of the platform experience, designing secure onboarding, structured invoice generation workflows, and compliance-driven portal interactions across multiple stakeholder groups.
Outcome: The system established a scalable foundation for nationwide VAT auditability, beginning with a pilot rollout for large taxpayers and expanding toward full adoption across sectors.
Outcome: The system established a scalable foundation for nationwide VAT auditability, beginning with a pilot rollout for large taxpayers and expanding toward full adoption across sectors.
The Problem
The Problem
VAT invoicing across Nigeria had long been fragmented, reliant on inconsistent manual processes, non-standard invoice formats, and limited audit visibility.
VAT invoicing across Nigeria had long been fragmented, reliant on inconsistent manual processes, non-standard invoice formats, and limited audit visibility.
FIRS needed a secure, standardized e-invoicing system that could:
FIRS needed a secure, standardized e-invoicing system that could:
Support real-time invoice issuance at national scale
Support real-time invoice issuance at national scale
Ensure full VAT compliance and traceability
Ensure full VAT compliance and traceability
Enable structured reporting across B2B, B2C, and B2G transactions
Enable structured reporting across B2B, B2C, and B2G transactions
Build trust through verifiable invoice integrity
Build trust through verifiable invoice integrity
Users & Stakeholders
Users & Stakeholders
The platform served multiple actors with distinct goals and permissions:
The platform served multiple actors with distinct goals and permissions:
Large Taxpayers / Merchants
Issuing compliant invoices
Buyers
Receiving verified transaction records
Access Point Providers
Onboarding and compliance approval
System Integrators
Connecting ERP and billing systems via APIs
Connecting ERP and billing systems
Translating complex VAT and invoicing rules into workflows merchants could complete confidently
Translating complex VAT and invoicing rules into workflows merchants could complete confidently
Supporting multiple role-based journeys (taxpayer, integrator, provider) in one ecosystem
Supporting multiple role-based journeys (taxpayer, integrator, provider) in one ecosystem
Maintaining trust through cryptographic stamping, security validation, and audit-ready integrity
Maintaining trust through cryptographic stamping, security validation, and audit-ready integrity
Preventing invoice errors early through structured data requirements (UBL/XML formats)
Preventing invoice errors early through structured data requirements (UBL/XML formats)
Key Design Challenges
Key Design Challenges
The core UX challenges were enterprise-scale and compliance-driven:
The core UX challenges were enterprise-scale and compliance-driven:
What I Led
What I Led
My responsibilities focused on the core workflows that enabled platform adoption:
My responsibilities focused on the core workflows that enabled platform adoption:
Taxpayer Onboarding + Portal UX
Taxpayer Onboarding + Portal UX
Led UX design for onboarding and dashboard flows for VAT-registered enterprises. Ensured merchants could activate quickly while meeting compliance requirements.
Led UX design for onboarding and dashboard flows for VAT-registered enterprises. Ensured merchants could activate quickly while meeting compliance requirements.
Structured Invoice Issuance
Structured Invoice Issuance
Designed invoice creation templates aligned with UBL/XML standards. Built validation and error-recovery patterns to reduce issuance failures.
Designed invoice creation templates aligned with UBL/XML standards. Built validation and error-recovery patterns to reduce issuance failures.
Approval + Compliance Flows
Approval + Compliance Flows
Designed LAP and integrator interaction patterns for access control and regulated onboarding. Enabled secure verification and role-based permissions.
Designed LAP and integrator interaction patterns for access control and regulated onboarding. Enabled secure verification and role-based permissions.
Key UX Decisions
Key UX Decisions
Guided step-based invoicing instead of exposing raw compliance complexity upfront
Inline validation to prevent merchants from submitting invoices that would fail downstream
Role-separated dashboards to reduce cognitive overload across taxpayer vs integrator workflows
Trust-forward UI patterns emphasizing security, verification, and auditability over decoration
Workflow Highlights
Workflow Highlights
Selected workflow moments where compliance and usability intersect.
Selected workflow moments where compliance and usability intersect.
Structured Invoice Validation (UBL/JSON)
Structured Invoice Validation (UBL/JSON)
Invoices needed to meet strict structured requirements (UBL/XML/JSON). Errors discovered late would break compliance and slow business operations.
Invoices needed to meet strict structured requirements (UBL/XML/JSON). Errors discovered late would break compliance and slow business operations.
User need: Pre-clearance testing before production
Constraint: UBL/XML/JSON structured formats required
Decision: Dedicated validation workflow with inline testing
Result: Reduced downstream failures and improved audit readiness
User need: Pre-clearance testing before production
Constraint: UBL/XML/JSON structured formats required
Decision: Dedicated validation workflow with inline testing
Result: Reduced downstream failures and improved audit readiness
User need: Pre-clearance testing before production
Constraint: UBL/XML/JSON structured formats required
Decision: Dedicated validation workflow with inline testing
Result: Reduced downstream failures and improved audit readiness
Role-Based Registration
The platform served both taxpayers and ecosystem partners (ERP providers, access point providers). Each group required different onboarding paths.
User need: Clear pathways for different user types
Constraint: Multiple stakeholder groups with different permissions
Decision: Role-based entry points to reduce cognitive overload
Result: Scalable onboarding as adoption expands nationwide
Impact & Outcomes
Impact & Outcomes
0+
0+
Pilot success
Supported pilot onboarding for large taxpayers ahead of July 2025 rollout
0+
0+
Pilot success
Supported pilot onboarding for large taxpayers ahead of July 2025 rollout
0%
0%
Cross-sector rollout plan:
Scalable foundation for B2B, B2C, and B2G adoption
0%
0%
Cross-sector rollout plan:
Scalable foundation for B2B, B2C, and B2G adoption
0%
0%
VAT Auditability
Secure, structured invoice generation with complete traceability
0%
0%
VAT Auditability
Secure, structured invoice generation with complete traceability
What I Would Improve Next
What I Would Improve Next
What I Would Improve Next
Simplifying self-serve onboarding for SMEs and smaller merchants
Simplifying self-serve onboarding for SMEs and smaller merchants
Simplifying self-serve onboarding for SMEs and smaller merchants
Faster exception handling for rejected or disputed invoices
Faster exception handling for rejected or disputed invoices
Faster exception handling for rejected or disputed invoices
Stronger integrator tooling and developer-facing workflow support
Stronger integrator tooling and developer-facing workflow support
Stronger integrator tooling and developer-facing workflow support
Continued reduction of compliance friction while maintaining audit integrity
Continued reduction of compliance friction while maintaining audit integrity
Continued reduction of compliance friction while maintaining audit integrity
Reflection: This project required designing at the intersection of fintech infrastructure × regulation × enterprise usability × national-scale systems.
It reinforced my focus on building products where trust, complexity, and compliance are central, and where design decisions must hold up under real operational and regulatory pressure.
Reflection: This project required designing at the intersection of fintech infrastructure × regulation × enterprise usability × national-scale systems.
It reinforced my focus on building products where trust, complexity, and compliance are central, and where design decisions must hold up under real operational and regulatory pressure.
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