Senator Adams Oshiomhole has described President Bola Tinubu’s new tax policy as consistent with the ideals of a progressive government, saying it deliberately shifts the tax burden away from the poor to those who earn more.
Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North in the Senate, said he was among the lawmakers who supported the tax reform bill that has now become law. He spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
“The facts on the ground show that President Tinubu’s tax policy is consistent with the values of a progressive government,” the former Edo State governor said.
“This is a progressive tax policy that places a higher burden on those who earn more while offering tax exemptions to those who earn less.”
He stressed that taxation is essential for governance, noting that governments do not generate income independently.
“It is only in Nigeria that people talk about government using money or claim that government earns money on its own,” Oshiomhole said.
“Governments do not earn money; citizens earn income, and the government taxes those earnings — whether individual or corporate. The sum of these taxes determines the annual revenue of the state.”
According to the senator, the new tax regime is designed to protect working families, especially low- and middle-income earners.
“There is no worker who is a member of the Nigeria Labour Congress earning N1 million a month, which totals N12 million a year,” he said. “So, for salary earners, this tax policy is progressive.”
Oshiomhole also addressed concerns around Value Added Tax (VAT), arguing that the average Nigerian worker has little to fear from the policy because VAT largely applies to non-essential and luxury items.
“Everywhere in the world, when you buy non-food items, you pay VAT,” he said. “Nigerians pay VAT in America, London, Dubai, yet they resist paying VAT here in Nigeria.”
President Tinubu had, in December 2025, reaffirmed that the new tax laws would come into effect from January 1, 2026, amid public debate and criticism.
The president said the reforms were not aimed at arbitrarily increasing taxes but at resetting Nigeria’s fiscal structure, promoting harmonisation, protecting citizens’ dignity and strengthening the social contract between the government and the people.
Tinubu also urged Nigerians to support the implementation of the policy, saying it was necessary to ensure sustainable revenue generation and improved public services under his administration.
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