The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has revealed that his involvement in driving far-reaching tax reforms in Nigeria has placed him in situations that threaten his life.
Oyedele made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking at a governance colloquium organised to mark the 50th birthday of Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination.
Addressing participants at the event, the head of the tax reform committee highlighted the complexity of implementing reforms that challenge entrenched and powerful interests within the system.
“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 agenda is confronted by several barriers, including deep-seated mistrust in government, weak tax compliance culture, and limited public understanding of the relationship between taxation and public service delivery.
Oyedele noted that Nigeria’s tax revenue performance remains far below that of comparable countries, a reality that makes comprehensive reforms unavoidable if the nation is to achieve sustainable development.
He urged Nigerians who believe in the reform process to speak up, warning that silence allows opponents of reform to dominate public discourse and shape misleading narratives.
The Federal Government, he said, began implementing new tax laws on January 1, 2026, with the enforcement of four key legislations: 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.
According to Oyedele, lack of trust remains one of the most critical factors undermining reform efforts. “The trust in government and within government is very low,” he said, adding that poor tax culture has left many Nigerians unaware of their responsibilities as taxpayers.
He pointed to a significant communication gap, where many citizens assume the government is introducing new taxes, when in reality it is streamlining and reducing existing ones.
“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 pushing through such changes demands courage and strong political resolve.
“You need that courage to push through, you need the courage to take risks, because it’s very risky,” he said, citing political, economic and reputational risks associated with the reform process.
Despite facing threats and online attacks, Oyedele maintained that the reform path remains the right course.
“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 concluded by expressing confidence in Nigeria’s direction, describing the ongoing changes as unprecedented in his lifetime and encouraging sustained commitment to achieve long-term success.
What you should know
Nigeria’s tax reforms are aimed at simplifying the tax system, improving compliance and increasing government revenue without overburdening citizens.
The reforms consolidate multiple taxes, strengthen administration and seek to rebuild public trust through transparency and efficiency. However, resistance from vested interests and widespread public misunderstanding have made implementation difficult.
Taiwo Oyedele, who leads the reform effort, argues that short-term discomfort is necessary to fix long-standing structural weaknesses and place Nigeria on a sustainable fiscal path capable of supporting development and public services.
