The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has disclosed that he faces life-threatening situations due to his role in implementing comprehensive tax reforms in Nigeria.
Oyedele made this revelation on Tuesday in Abuja during a governance colloquium organized to celebrate the 50th birthday of Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination.
Speaking at the event, the tax reform chief emphasized the difficulty of implementing changes that affect powerful interests.
“Reforms are hard, and tax reforms are even harder. You need courage. I receive threats simply for trying to fix a broken system,” he stated.
He explained that the reform process faces multiple obstacles, including widespread mistrust of government, poor tax compliance culture, and limited understanding of fiscal exchange among citizens.
According to Oyedele, Nigeria’s tax revenue collection remains significantly lower than comparable nations, making reforms unavoidable.
The tax administrator called on Nigerians who support the reforms to make their voices heard, cautioning that remaining silent enables critics to control the narrative.
The federal government began enforcing new tax legislation on January 1, 2026, introducing four major statutes: the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act 2025.
Oyedele identified trust as a fundamental challenge hindering reform efforts. “The trust in government and within government is very low,” he noted, adding that weak tax culture means many Nigerians remain unaware of their tax obligations.
He pointed out a communication gap where citizens believe new taxes are being imposed when the government is actually reducing and consolidating existing levies.
“Suddenly, there is a national awareness, and they just say, the people have come with taxes all over the place when actually, what the government is doing is to reduce those taxes they have been paying, and harmonise them,” he explained.
The reform chairman stressed that successful implementation requires both courage and political determination.
“You need that courage to push through, you need the courage to take risks, because it’s very risky,” he said, listing political, economic, and reputational risks involved.
Despite facing online abuse and threats, Oyedele defended the reform approach.
“What we have been doing all along, all my adult life with the tax system, was pain reliever. It hasn’t taken us far. It can’t take us far. Now we’re doing the surgery. It’s going to come with some pain, but that’s the only right thing to do.”
He expressed optimism about Nigeria’s trajectory, describing current progress as unprecedented in his lifetime and urging perseverance to achieve desired outcomes.
The post I receive threats over tax reform implementation — Taiwo Oyedele appeared first on Vanguard News.
