The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has suspended its planned nationwide protest against the new Tax Reform Act after a series of high-level engagements with key government institutions, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the National Assembly.
Naijaonpoint reports that the protest, initially scheduled for January 14, 2026, was aimed at halting the implementation of the law pending public sensitisation and an investigation by the National Assembly.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its maiden Expanded National Executive Council (ENEC) meeting, NANS President, Olushola Oladoja, said the association was fully briefed by FIRS officials and lawmakers on the objectives and provisions of the law.
“Following the conclusion of the National Assembly’s investigation – whose report has now been published, the Expanded National Executive Council of NANS, in collaboration with all structural student bodies, provided a platform for tax experts from the FIRS to educate student leaders, clarify grey areas, and respond comprehensively to concerns expressed by the Nigerian masses about the new Tax Reform Law,” Oladoja stated.
After extensive deliberations, NANS concluded that the Tax Reform Act was not targeted at the poor, but rather designed to ensure equitable tax contributions across income groups.
The statement read, “That the new Tax Reform Law is a deliberate and well-intentioned law aimed at improving Nigeria’s economy, strengthening institutional frameworks for revenue generation, with deliberate provisions to protect low-income earners and vulnerable citizens.
“That the Law does not target the poor; instead, it strengthens social protection while ensuring that higher-income earners contribute more equitably to national revenue, preventing lopsidedness and unnecessary tax burdens on a few.”
NANS said the association would now partner with the Federal Government and the FIRS to support public enlightenment on the law’s provisions. It also passed a vote of confidence on the FIRS Executive Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, and praised President Bola Tinubu for what it described as student-friendly policies.
“That, consequent upon the above resolutions, NANS hereby calls off the proposed nationwide protest earlier scheduled for 14th January, 2025,” Oladoja declared.
The ENEC meeting drew participants from across student bodies, including presidents and senate presidents of national student associations from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, as well as female student representatives and campus coordinators from all six geopolitical zones.