The Federal Government has alleged that some individuals are attempting to undermine the success of ongoing tax reforms, insisting that the policies are pro-poor and designed to recalibrate national revenue generation.
The Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Tope Fasua, made the allegation on Thursday during the inauguration of a Joint Committee of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms in Abuja.
Fasua said the committee would work to counter misinformation and disinformation surrounding the reforms, which he claimed were being spread by alleged saboteurs.
“People are trying to ensure that, maybe, if they can manage to do it, the reforms do not succeed. However, we must quickly say that despite this resistance, this is a pro-poor policy — a policy on recalibrating the revenues of this country that ensures the poorest Nigerians are not touched, except positively,” he said.
He stressed that the reforms were not designed to increase the tax burden on citizens or small businesses, citing the partial opening of the Brass–Nembe Road as an example of infrastructure made possible through improved tax revenue.
“Recently, the Brass–Nembe Road was partially opened. That’s the kind of thing that will happen when we get better revenue and taxes. Of course, we will also rely on the experiences of other countries — how they have done it and how they have fared,” Fasua added.
The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, had earlier clarified during a courtesy visit to the NOA that the reforms were intended to ease, not worsen, the burden on Nigerians.
He lamented that widespread misinformation continued to fuel unnecessary fear and anger over the policies.
Implementation of the reforms is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2026.
Key provisions include exemptions for small businesses, reduced tax burdens for workers and the middle class, lower corporate tax rates, harmonisation of multiple taxes across federal, state and local governments, streamlined compliance procedures, and the elimination of nuisance taxes to boost investment.
