The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has said he has been receiving threats because of his role in driving Nigeria’s ongoing tax reforms.
Oyedele spoke in Abuja at a governance colloquium held to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hajiya Hadiza Bala-Usman, on Tuesday.
He explained that pushing reforms that affect powerful interests is not easy and requires courage, especially in a system that has struggled with change for years.
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“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 listed mistrust of government, weak tax compliance and limited understanding of how taxes work as major hurdles to the reform process. He added that Nigeria’s tax revenue is still far below what similar countries generate, so the country has no choice but to reform.
He urged Nigerians who support the reforms to speak up so that those opposed to the changes do not dominate public discussions.
According to him, many people misunderstand the reforms and assume government is introducing new taxes, whereas some existing taxes are being reduced and harmonised.
“There is suddenly a national awareness, and people say the government has brought taxes all over the place, when in fact what we are doing is reducing the taxes they have been paying and harmonising them,” he explained.
Oyedele noted that the process comes with political and economic risks, and requires determination to continue.
“You need the courage to push through. You need the courage to take risks, because it’s very risky,” he said.
Despite the threats and online attacks, he defended the current approach, saying past efforts only offered temporary relief.
“What we have been doing all my adult life with the tax system was a pain reliever. It hasn’t taken us far. Now we’re doing the surgery. It will come with pain, but it is the only right thing to do,” he said.
He expressed hope that the ongoing reforms will help stabilize Nigeria’s finances if citizens remain committed to the process.
The federal government began enforcing the new tax regime on January 1, 2026, under four new laws: 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.