Tinubu’s tax reform, Nigeria’s most ambitious economic reform in decades – Dogara

By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has described President Bola Tinubu’s taxation reforms arsenic the astir audacious economical overhaul successful Nigeria’s history, informing that their occurrence volition find whether the state tin execute economical justness and sustainable development.

Dogara, who delivered the maiden Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture astatine the National Assembly connected Monday successful Abuja, said the reforms were borne retired of necessity to rescue Nigeria’s battered system and reposition the federation connected the way of planetary competitiveness.

“By the clip President Tinubu took office, the economical debris of the federation had go excessively conspicuous to beryllium ignored,” Dogara said. “₦22.7 trillion had been printed and injected into the system successful the sanction of ways and means, thereby destroying the worth of the Naira. Something urgent, nay revolutionary, had to beryllium done to forestall our system from imploding.”

He praised the President for mounting up the Presidential Committee connected Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform, chaired by Prof. Taiwo Oyedele, which produced a consolidated ineligible model replacing 16 national taxation statutes with 4 main Acts, including the Nigeria Tax Act (NTA 2025) and the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA 2025).

According to him, the betterment bundle aims to simplify the taxation system, broaden the taxation base, fortify compliance, and align Nigeria’s laws with planetary champion practices.

“The reforms support the poor, empower businesses, promote investment, and guarantee fairness crossed society,” helium said. “They fortify Nigeria’s competitiveness, trim inequality, and supply the authorities with resources needed to put successful infrastructure, education, health, and security.”

The erstwhile Speaker nevertheless admitted that absorption to the reforms had been “fierce and furious,” driven successful portion by vested interests seeking to support the aged order.

“At immoderate point, it was wide that astir of those opposed to the betterment desired to spot the President neglect alternatively than succeed,” Dogara argued. “Casting the President arsenic dictatorial alternatively than being decisive was the precocious constituent of the absorption meant to scupper the reform. Thankfully, Mr. President courageously held his enactment and refused to bulge.”

Dogara highlighted respective cardinal provisions of the reforms, including:

A unified taxation model consolidating aggregate laws into a modern structure.

Expanded taxation basal to screen integer services, cryptocurrencies, overseas speech gains, and virtual transactions.

Exemptions for tiny businesses with turnover beneath ₦100 cardinal and assets nether ₦250 million.

A 4% Development Levy replacing aggregate levies, aimed astatine simplifying firm obligations.

A caller Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to regenerate FIRS and coordinate federal, state, and section taxation administration.

On nationalist fears implicit the arguable 5% substance surcharge, Dogara clarified that it was not a caller levy but a restated proviso from the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency Act (2007), and would lone instrumentality effect upon an bid by the Minister of Finance.

“Several vigor products utilized by households, including kerosene, LPG, and CNG, are exempt. It is mischievous to assertion that the surcharge volition automatically commencement successful January 2026,” helium stressed.

Dogara urged some citizens and authorities to dainty taxation betterment arsenic a “pact” built connected spot and accountability.

“True taxation betterment is not astir raising rates, but astir raising trust. Transparency is the motor of compliance. When citizens tin spot wherever their Naira goes, they are arrogant to springiness it,” helium said.

He challenged Tinubu to “take nary prisoners” successful implementing the reform, describing it arsenic a bequest that could cement his spot arsenic “the astir consequential economical reformer of our time.”

“This is much than a argumentation change; it is simply a nationalist conversation. It is america telling ourselves that we are acceptable to physique the Nigeria we deserve,” Dogara concluded.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, commended President Bola Tinubu’s bold taxation reforms, describing them arsenic a decisive measurement toward simplifying compliance, broadeni...