Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has disclosed that he has been receiving threats over the tax reforms policy.
Speaking at a governance colloquium organised to mark the 50th birthday of the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy and Coordination, Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, Oyedele lamented the reform agenda is faced with deep-rooted challenges, including low public trust in government, weak tax compliance, and limited understanding.
He pointed out that Nigeria’s tax revenue remains far below that of comparable countries, making reform not just necessary but unavoidable.
“Reforms are hard, and tax reforms are even harder. You need courage. I receive threats simply for trying to fix a broken system,” he said.
He urged Nigerians who believe in the reforms to speak up, warning that silence allows opponents to dominate public discourse.
According to him, the Federal Government commenced the implementation of new tax laws on January 1, 2026.
The reforms are anchored on four key legislations: the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act 2025.
Trust, Oyedele said, remains one of the most critical barriers to progress.
“The trust in government and within government is very low,” he observed, adding that many Nigerians are unaware of their tax responsibilities due to a weak tax culture.
He also highlighted a major communication gap, noting that many citizens wrongly assume the reforms introduce new taxes rather than streamline existing ones.
“Suddenly, there is a national awareness, and they just say, the people have come with taxes all over the place when actually, what the government is doing is to reduce those taxes they have been paying, and harmonise them,” he explained.