Ime Akpan
The national assembly has delivered four key tax reform bills to President Bola Tinubu.
The pieces of legislation are meant to overhaul the country’s tax system.
The bills are: The Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
The minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Mr Wale Edun, disclosed the in Abuja yesterday at the 50th birthday lecture of the chairman of the presidential committee on fiscal policy and tax reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele.
According to the minister, the submission of the bills underscores the federal government’s commitment to reshaping Nigeria’s fiscal policy landscape.
He described the transmission of the bills to the president as “a critical milestone in the Tinubu administration’s reform agenda.”
Edun stated that as soon as the president assents to the bills, they “will significantly enhance the efficiency and fairness of Nigeria’s tax system, potentially doubling the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio, which currently ranks among the lowest globally.”
“There is still hard work to be done in efficiently implementing the bills that have been passed, but they promise to transform the fiscal landscape,” the minister added.
He saluted the Tinubu’s determination in pushing the tax reform agenda forward despite various challenges, stressing that the president knew the value of those four tax reform bills and persisted through thick and thin, through turbulence and uncertainty to ensure their passage.
He emphasized that the fiscal reforms championed by Oyedele’s committee are central to the President’s vision of lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty. He identified key sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure (including digital infrastructure), and access to finance as strategic areas targeted for inclusive growth.
He further said the reforms would introduce a fairer and more transparent tax system aligned with global best practices.
He credited Oyedele’s expertise and communication skills for making the complex reforms accessible to a broad audience.
“You had the grace and gift to take a complex subject and, time after time, tirelessly break it down and simplify it for all types of audiences — the high, the low, the knowledgeable, and the less knowledgeable. That is why we have, today, a set of proposed bills now ready for Mr. President to sign into law,” Edun added.
