A tax expert, Uzoma Kelechi, says the recently enacted Tax Reform Acts will enhance investment and promote fairness in Nigeria’s tax system.
By Perpetua Onuegbu
A tax expert, Uzoma Kelechi, says the recently enacted Tax Reform Acts will enhance investment and promote fairness in Nigeria’s tax system.
Kelechi said this during a capacity-building workshop organised by the Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in collaboration with the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).
The event, which was held virtually on Thursday with the theme “New Tax Laws and Informal Sector Taxation”, highlighted the transformative potential of the reforms.
Kelechi said that the previous tax system was complex, and burdened the ordinary citizens, while allowing significant segments of the informal and corporate sectors to remain untaxed.
“In the past, the tax system was narrow and regressive, placing a heavier burden on everyday Nigerians.
“The new tax laws introduced through recent Finance Acts and the 2025 Tax Reform Bills, represent a deliberate shift towards a progressive, pro-poor framework.”
She explained that the new legislation aimed to expand the tax net by ensuring that wealthier individuals, large corporations, and luxury consumption, contribute a fairer share.
“For citizens, this means a simpler, fairer, and more inclusive system that still provides the revenue needed to reduce reliance on oil, while protecting the most vulnerable.
“With the new law, the poor will breathe,” she said.
Kelechi also commended President Bola Tinubu for championing the tax reforms, stating that the changes would provide relief to low-income earners.
Also speaking at the event, CISLAC’s Programme Gender Officer, Dolapo Asaolu, said the workshop aimed to build the capacity of civil society members, particularly those from the FCT chapter of the Tax Justice and Governance Platform.
“There’s a clear knowledge gap when it comes to the new tax laws.
“If we, as civil society organisations, are to effectively advocate and educate the public, we must first understand the laws ourselves.”
Asaolu noted that while the new laws focused on the formal sector, their long-term goal would ensure that all sectors, including the informal economy, contribute fairly.
“When everyone understands their tax obligations and pays their fair share, it promotes transparency, strengthens accountability, and boosts public revenue.
“This will ensure better budgeting and social service delivery.”
Mr Botti Isaac, Social Action/Host, FCT Tax Justice Platform, also emphasised the importance of linking the new tax laws to the informal sector.
“Our objective is to understand how the reforms impact those operating in the informal economy and develop advocacy strategies to improve implementation.”
The workshop concluded with a call for sustained education, transparency, and equitable enforcement of the tax laws, to ensure Nigerians benefit from it, especially those in the informal sector.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)