By Joke Kujenyaย
PLANS TO begin implementation of Nigeriaโs new tax laws on January 1, 2026, will proceed as scheduled despite mounting opposition and public debate, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms (PCFPTR), Taiwo Oyedele, has said.
Oyedele spoke on Friday in Lagos while briefing journalists after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the commencement date for the Nigerian Tax Act (NTA) and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act (NTAA) would not be shifted.
โThe plan to commence the new laws on January 1, 2026, will go ahead as planned on schedule because these reforms are designed to provide relief to the Nigerian people,โ Oyedele said.
The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacchaeus Adedeji, and the Chairman of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee (NTPIC), Joseph Tegbe.
Oyedele said the reforms were structured to ease the tax burden on workers and businesses while promoting growth and inclusivity across the economy.
โBottom 98 percent of workers will see either no Pay As You Earn tax or lower taxes to be paid,โ he said.
He added that small businesses would benefit significantly under the new regime.
โSmall businesses, 97 percent of them, will be exempted from Corporate Income Taxes (CIT), Value Added Tax (VAT), and Withholding Tax (WT), and large businesses will see a drop in the taxes that they pay,โ Oyedele said.
โThe whole idea is to try and promote economic growth, inclusivity as well as shared prosperity for our people.โ
The tax reform programme has attracted strong resistance from pressure groups and opposition politicians since the bills were introduced and debated at the National Assembly (NASS).
Concerns have also been raised over alleged discrepancies between versions of the tax laws debated by lawmakers and those later gazetted and released to the public.
A member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, recently questioned the authenticity of the gazetted tax laws, saying they did not reflect what lawmakers debated and approved.
Dasuki said his legislative rights had been breached because the contents of the gazetted laws differed from what was passed on the floor of the House.
โBefore you can say there is a difference between what was gazetted and what was passed, we have what has not been gazetted. We donโt have what was passed,โ Dasuki said.
Responding to the concerns, Oyedele welcomed the position taken by the NASS and said the Federal Government was ready to engage with lawmakers to address issues raised by Nigerians, including opposition figures.
He said only the National Assembly could authoritatively clarify what versions of the bills were passed and transmitted to the President.
โThe official harmonised bills certified by the clerk, which the National Assembly sent to the President, we donโt have a copy to compare,โ Oyedele said.
โOnly the lawmakers can say authoritatively what we sent. It should be the House of Representatives or Senate version. It should be the harmonised version certified by the clerk.โ
Oyedele said he did not possess the harmonised version debated by lawmakers.
โEven me, I cannot say that I have it. I only have what was presented to Mr President to sign,โ he said.
President Tinubu has signed four tax reform bills into law, an action the government described as the most significant overhaul of Nigeriaโs tax system in decades.
The laws signed include the NTA, the NTAA, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act (NRSEA), and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act (JRBEA).
All the laws are to operate under a single authority, the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).
The reforms faced stiff opposition from some federal lawmakers, particularly from the northern part of the country, before they were eventually passed by the National Assembly.
Oyedele reiterated that the January 1, 2026, implementation date remained fixed and would not be halted.
He said the reforms were intended to benefit Nigerians and create a fairer tax system.
โBottom 98 percent of workers will see either no PAYE taxes or lower taxes to be paid,โ he said.
โSmall businesses, 97 percent of them, will be exempted from corporate income tax, VAT, withholding taxes, and large businesses will see a drop in the taxes that they pay.โ
Oyedele said the committee was encouraged by the progress made so far and was focused on the planned commencement date.
โThe whole idea is to try and promote economic growth, inclusivity, as well as shared prosperity for our people, so we are actually excited about the progress we are making, and we are looking forward to January 1, 2026,โ he said.
The committee chairman also linked expected revenue growth under the new tax regime to economic expansion, increased tax compliance, and fairness in the system.
