Taiwo Oyedele tax reforms face threats as chairman stresses courage and challenges in implementing Nigeria’s new fiscal policies

Mr Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, has disclosed that he faces life-threatening situations due to his leadership in implementing comprehensive tax reforms in Nigeria.

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

Speaking at the event, Oyedele emphasised the difficulty of reforming Nigeria’s tax system, noting that the changes affect powerful interests.

“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.

Oyedele identified widespread mistrust of government, poor tax compliance culture, and limited understanding of fiscal exchange among citizens as key obstacles.

He stressed that Nigeria’s tax revenue collection remains significantly lower than comparable nations, making reforms essential.

The Chairman urged Nigerians who support the reforms to voice their approval, warning that silence allows critics to dominate the narrative.

He highlighted that the federal government began enforcing four major statutes on January 1, 2026: 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.

Addressing communication challenges, Oyedele explained that citizens often perceive new taxes as burdensome, despite reforms consolidating and reducing existing levies.

“Suddenly, there is national awareness, and they just say the people have come with taxes all over the place when actually the government is reducing what they have been paying,” he said.

Despite online abuse and threats, Oyedele defended the reform process.

“What we have been doing all along with the tax system was a pain reliever. Now we’re doing the surgery. It will come with some pain, but that’s the only right thing to do,” he stated.

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The Chairman expressed optimism about Nigeria’s fiscal trajectory, describing the current reforms as unprecedented in his lifetime and urging perseverance to achieve long-term economic impact.