Tinubu tax reforms trigger growing public anger

Tinubu Tax Reforms spark public anger as Nigerians decry rising costs, shrinking incomes, and a suffocating burden of taxes and service charges

Tinubu Tax Reforms have become one of the most contentious features of Nigeria’s economic landscape, drawing both praise and sharp criticism as citizens grapple with the weight of new policies.

Also read: Nigeria’s Proposed Tax Reforms: Balancing Revenue Generation and Stakeholder Concerns

The administration’s aggressive revenue drive, marked by rising taxes and service charges, has left many Nigerians feeling squeezed beyond endurance.

Since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, a string of reforms has reshaped the economy.

The removal of fuel subsidy, flotation of the naira, and hikes in electricity tariffs were swiftly followed by upward reviews of corporate taxes, passport fees, driver’s licences, and even police permits.

More recently, speculation about a proposed five per cent fuel tax ignited outrage, despite government clarifications that no immediate implementation is planned.

For many Nigerians, however, reassurance has done little to soften the reality. Costs of fuel, food, and rent have soared while salaries remain stagnant.

Public sentiment is that the reforms, though intended to broaden Nigeria’s tax base, have imposed crushing short-term burdens.

“The last thing anybody wants to hear now is more tax,” warned Chief Chekwas Okorie, founder of APGA, who said citizens are already suffocating under subsidy removal and erratic electricity supply.

Economic experts agree taxation is vital for growth, funding roads, schools, and hospitals. Yet critics argue that Tinubu Tax Reforms are disproportionately punishing the poor and middle class, who spend most of their income on essentials. Professor Segun Ajibola stressed that levies on fuel and basic goods risk choking the economy.

He urged government to target luxury consumption and widen the tax net to the vast informal sector instead of overburdening compliant taxpayers.

While some economists, including Dr Muda Yusuf, believe the reforms will eventually harmonise taxes and protect low-income earners, many Nigerians see only the immediate hardship.

The cumulative effect of overlapping policies has created a cost-of-living crisis, fuelling anger, despair, and even emigration.

Supporters argue the reforms are a necessary foundation for future stability. But with patience running thin, the government faces mounting pressure to prove that its tax drive will deliver visible improvements in infrastructure and public services.

Also read: Nigeria enacts new tax laws with bold incentives

Until then, Tinubu Tax Reforms remain a flashpoint, emblematic of the widening gulf between citizens’ daily struggles and the government’s promises of long-term economic growth.