Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has disclosed that he has been receiving threats over his role in implementing Nigeria’s tax reforms.
Oyedele made the disclosure while speaking at a governance colloquium, where he said pushing reforms that affect entrenched interests requires courage, especially in a system that has long resisted change.
He said Nigeria’s tax system suffers from deep public mistrust, weak compliance and poor understanding of how taxes translate into public services, adding that the country’s revenue remains far below that of comparable economies.
According to him, many Nigerians wrongly believe that new taxes are being introduced, whereas the reforms are focused on reducing multiple levies and harmonising existing taxes to make the system simpler and fairer.
Oyedele urged Nigerians who support the reforms to speak out, warning that silence allows misinformation to thrive.
He admitted that the process comes with political and personal risks but insisted that the reforms are necessary to achieve long-term fiscal stability.
Despite facing online attacks and threats, he said the government remains committed to the reforms, describing previous tax approaches as temporary fixes and insisting that the current changes, though difficult, are essential for rebuilding a sustainable and transparent tax system.