The Nigerian Presidency has refuted allegations that the proposed tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly will impoverish northern Nigeria or disproportionately benefit Lagos and Rivers states.
In a statement released on Monday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga emphasized that the reforms are designed to enhance the quality of life for all Nigerians, particularly the disadvantaged, and to streamline tax administration to foster a more favorable business environment.
“The tax reform bills will not make Lagos or Rivers states more affluent than others, nor will they impoverish any region,” Onanuga stated, urging Nigerians to reject any attempts to polarize the nation over the bills.
Onanuga clarified that the bills do not propose the abolition of agencies such as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), or the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). These agencies will continue to operate and receive funding through budgetary allocations.
The spokesperson added that President Bola Tinubu’s tax and fiscal policy reforms aim to simplify tax collection, reduce the burden on businesses, and support national development.
Meanwhile, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has called on Northern leaders to approach the ongoing tax reform bills before the National Assembly with pragmatism rather than sentiment.
“We Northern leaders should remove the cap of ethnicity and religious sentiments and put on the cap of leadership to face the reality, which the bills will bring,” Dogara stated.
He criticized senators who claimed there was insufficient consultation on the bills, questioning their own practices in lawmaking. “How many people do they consult when making laws? Some state laws are written in the living rooms of governors,” he said, dismissing arguments that the bills’ popularity is more important than their impact.
Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms, clarified that the bills aim to empower subnational governments to enhance revenue generation and achieve self-sufficiency.
