Imisi’s ₦150m BBNaija S10 Prize Money Unaffected By New Tax Laws

Amid wide unconfirmed reports that Big Brother Naija Season 10 winner, Opeyemi Ayanwale, popularly known arsenic Imisi, would suffer ₦37.5 cardinal from her ₦150 cardinal prize wealth to taxation deductions, clarifications person emerged indicating that her net volition not beryllium affected by the caller taxation laws scheduled to instrumentality effect successful January 2026.

The disorder stemmed from Nigeria’s sweeping 2025 Tax Reform Act, which introduced caller idiosyncratic and firm income taxation rules, raising the apical complaint to 25% for high-income earners. However, the laws are not yet operational, and arsenic such, bash not use to the BBNaija prize, which falls nether the 2025 fiscal year.

Despite this, societal media has been flooded with reactions aft archetypal reports suggested the ₦150 cardinal prize would beryllium subjected to the 25% idiosyncratic income taxation rate.

A Facebook user, Jurist Oliver Man-Dee wrote, “Till adjacent twelvemonth 2026 — ₦37m nary beryllium tiny money.”

Another user, Sele Bobo, criticised what helium called Nigerians’ complacency toward authorities policies, saying, “You radical person yet accepted to wage this taxation to a authorities lone funny successful themselves and family. You set and accommodate to truthful galore nonsense the authorities crockery retired giving them much powerfulness to compression you dry.”

Similarly, Ndifreke Anasazi lamented the interaction specified deductions could person connected citizens, stating, “₦37 cardinal to taxation nary beryllium tiny wealth oo. Tinubu dey play with fire.”

But, not everyone saw it negatively. Kingsley Afonughe noted, “To whom overmuch is given, overmuch is expected.”

LEADERSHIP reports that Imisi emerged arsenic the victor of Big Brother Naija Season 10 connected Sunday night, clinching the ₦150 cardinal expansive prize aft 10 weeks of fierce competition. The show, which began with 29 housemates, saw 1 contestant voluntarily exiting and different disqualified, leaving 9 finalists successful the last week.

In a tense finale watched by millions crossed Africa, Imisi and Dede were the past 2 standing, with Imisi yet taking location the crown and title.

Under the 2025 Tax Reform Acts, which volition instrumentality effect connected January 1, 2026, individuals earning supra ₦50 cardinal annually volition look a 25% idiosyncratic income taxation rate, portion caller levies and deductions volition use to companies and superior gains. However, since Imisi’s triumph occurred earlier the effectual date, her prize is exempt from the caller rates, though it whitethorn inactive beryllium taxable to existing withholding taxes oregon prize levies applicable nether anterior regulations.

The clarification brings alleviation to fans who had expressed outrage implicit what they feared would beryllium a hefty chopped from Imisi’s winnings.