Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Professor Taiwo Oyedele on Wednesday insisted that President Bola Tinubu has not introduced any new taxes despite reforms by the government carefully reeled out to overhaul the nation’s tax landscape, which have yet to take effect.
Oyedele stated this at a one-day training workshop organized by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on the Nigerian Tax Act (2025), for the State House Press Corps (SHPC), journalists accredited to cover the presidential villa.
“I am not aware of any new tax that this Tinubu’s administration has introduced. I am serious, I am actually curious and I follow matters around tax a lot, there is no one that this government has introduced,” he said.
According to him, the priority of the present government under the new tax regime, is to simplify compliance by harmonising overlapping taxes, eliminating nuisance levies, and creating a streamlined system that encourages productivity.
Welcoming participants on behalf of the Chairman of the FIRS Dr. Zacch Adedeji at the workshop, Aderonke Atoyebi – his Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media said, the role of the media, and especially the State House Press Corps, remains critical to the public’s understanding and buy-in of the reform initiatives.
“You are the main link between the Presidency and the Nigerian people. Your reporting shapes public perception, informs civic understanding, and influences the level of trust citizens place in government policies.
“It is therefore timely and necessary to equip you to accurately interpret and effectively report on these reforms. This training program is designed to do exactly that,” Aderonke noted.
The workshop centred on the key provisions and objectives of the Tax Reforms Act, the structure, mandate, and operations of the Nigeria Revenue Service, and the broader fiscal implications of the reform agenda for national development.
Other resource persons at the event including the Director of Field Operations Monitoring Department of the FIRS Mathew Osanekwu, also took participants through the interactive engagements, which helps to provide them with the requisite knowledge and tools to communicate clearly and responsibly, the tax reforms, and their potentials for the nation’s economic growth.
Major components and expected impacts of the tax reforms by the administration include, increased tax exemption thresholds for low-income earners and small businesses, elimination of Value Added Tax (VAT) on essential goods and services like food and education.
The new tax regime, which commences in January 2026, also has a reduction of the corporate tax rate for large companies from 30 percent to 25 percent and new tax incentives for charitable and educational institutions.
