A financial analyst, Kalu Aja, has said that widespread opposition to the newly introduced tax laws stems from Nigerians’ deep-seated lack of trust in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ability to spend public funds responsibly.
Aja made the assertion in a statement posted on his 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, amid growing controversy surrounding the proposed tax reforms.
Reacting to public backlash against the new tax laws, Aja argued that Nigerians are not opposed to taxation itself but are worried about how their money would be managed by government officials.
“The issue is trust. Nigerians don’t trust the government with the power to spend their taxes properly on their behalf,” he wrote.
According to him, years of poor governance and lack of accountability have made citizens sceptical of any attempt to impose new financial burdens.
The analyst said the lavish lifestyles of political office holders have further deepened public resentment and suspicion over the tax reforms.
He lamented that successive Nigerian governments have failed to demonstrate that tax revenues translate into improved living conditions for citizens.
“The taxes Nigerians have already paid, how were they spent?” Aja queried.
Aja also criticised what he described as a lack of transparency in the handling of the tax laws, alleging that even lawmakers and the Presidency do not appear to be working with a single, verifiable document.
“Between the National Assembly and the Presidency, we don’t even have a credible copy of the tax bill, yet you expect Nigerians to pay these taxes?” he said.
He added that the government must embrace openness if it wants citizens to accept higher tax obligations.
“You want Western-style taxes? Be transparent on taxes like the West,” he wrote.
Naijaonpoint reports that despite the public outcry, the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, insisted on Friday that the implementation of the new tax laws would commence on January 1, 2026.
Oyedele’s position has continued to attract criticism from various quarters, including lawmakers and policy experts.
Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsamman Dasuki, has raised concerns over alleged alterations in the country’s tax laws, further fuelling the debate.
Dasuki’s allegations have reignited controversy around the reforms, prompting renewed scrutiny of the legislative process.
In a fresh development on Friday, the National Assembly ordered that the tax laws be re-gazetted, a move seen as an attempt to address the growing concerns over authenticity and transparency.