FG: Tax reform anchored on fairness, equity

The Federal Government has said ongoing tax reforms are designed to ensure fairness, equity and justice in tax administration in Nigeria as part of broader efforts to strengthen trust between citizens and government institutions. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Office […]

The Federal Government has said ongoing tax reforms are designed to ensure fairness, equity and justice in tax administration in Nigeria as part of broader efforts to strengthen trust between citizens and government institutions.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Office of the Tax Ombud and heads of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Abuja.
Idris described the Office of the Tax Ombud as a key institutional reform introduced under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to promote transparency, accountability and fairness in tax administration.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at bridging the gap between taxpayers and tax authorities through mediation, public enlightenment and dispute resolution mechanisms that reinforce justice in the system.
“Tax administration is a very essential component of national development. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu established the Office of the Tax Ombud to ensure fairness, equity and justice in the administration of taxes in Nigeria,” the minister said.
He explained that the meeting was convened to deepen collaboration and strengthen public understanding of the reform agenda, stressing that effective communication was necessary to correct misconceptions surrounding earlier tax policy discussions.
“When the tax reform initiative was introduced, there was a lot of misunderstanding, misrepresentation and even outright mischief because many people criticising the reforms had not even seen the documents. That is why public enlightenment is very important,” he said.
Idris also noted that wider economic reforms under the administration, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange adjustments, were already yielding positive results such as improved fiscal stability, increased state revenues and renewed investor confidence.
He added that Nigeria’s foreign reserves had surpassed $50 billion for the first time in more than a decade, while improved global ratings and removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list reflected growing economic credibility.
The minister assured that the ministry, through agencies such as the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Voice of Nigeria (VON) and National Orientation Agency (NOA), would continue to support public enlightenment on the mandate of the Tax Ombud.
Earlier, the Chief Executive of the Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr John C. Nwabueze, said the office serves as an independent mechanism for resolving taxpayer complaints, protecting rights and promoting voluntary compliance through trust-building and transparency.