“I Receive Threats Over Tax Reform Implementation” — Taiwo Oyedele

The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has revealed that his role in implementing Nigeria’s comprehensive tax reforms has exposed him to life-threatening situations.

Oyedele made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja during a governance colloquium celebrating the 50th birthday of Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination.

“Reforms are hard, and tax reforms are even harder. You need courage. I receive threats simply for trying to fix a broken system,” he stated, emphasizing the challenges of altering systems that affect powerful interests.

He explained that tax reform faces multiple hurdles, including poor tax compliance, mistrust of government, and limited understanding of fiscal exchange among citizens. According to Oyedele, Nigeria’s tax revenue remains significantly lower than comparable nations, making reforms unavoidable.

Oyedele urged Nigerians who support the reforms to speak up, warning that silence allows critics to dominate the narrative.

The federal government began enforcing new tax legislation on January 1, 2026, rolling out four major statutes: 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.

Identifying trust as a key challenge, Oyedele noted: “The trust in government and within government is very low,” adding that weak tax culture means many citizens are unaware of their obligations. He highlighted a communication gap, saying citizens often mistakenly believe new taxes are being introduced, when in reality, the government is consolidating and reducing existing levies.

“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.

Oyedele stressed that successful reform requires both courage and political determination. “You need that courage to push through, you need the courage to take risks, because it’s very risky,” he said, noting political, economic, and reputational risks.

Despite receiving online abuse and threats, he defended the reform process. “What we have been doing all along, all my adult life with the tax system, was pain reliever. It hasn’t taken us far. It can’t take us far. Now we’re doing the surgery. It’s going to come with some pain, but that’s the only right thing to do.”

He concluded on an optimistic note about Nigeria’s future, describing current progress as unprecedented in his lifetime and urging perseverance to achieve the reforms’ intended outcomes.

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