Tax Reform and the Imperative of National Renewal

By: Okoi Obono-Obla  It is heartwarming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has boldly, firmly, and audaciously resolved that the N...

By: Okoi Obono-Obla 

It is heartwarming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has boldly, firmly, and audaciously resolved that the New Tax Reform legislation he signed into law—though its commencement date was shifted to 1 January 2026—will indeed take effect, despite the invidious propaganda against its enforceability. This opposition is premised on claims of a purported circulation of a version of the legislation different from the one passed by the National Assembly.  

The intensity of the campaign of negativity against the coming into force of this legislation, which was designed to reform tax laws that had become anachronistic and steeped in colonial legacy—even though Nigeria has enjoyed almost sixty years of independence—leaves a sour taste in the mouths of those of us who believe independence should have been followed by deliberate efforts to decolonize laws repugnant to our cultural values and economic interests.  

It beggars belief that some Nigerians remain impervious to the necessity of reforms and changes aimed at modernizing the economy to reflect prevailing global and domestic realities. Legislative reforms are a constant across the world, effected either by the executive branch or through collaboration with the legislature. Therefore, whatever variations discovered in the tax reform legislation that differ from the original version can be amended, altered, or moved by the National Assembly at any time. Such variations should not be the basis for discarding the reform altogether, as some vehemently contend, exposing their opposition as rooted in vested political or economic interests—or both.  

In conclusion, the New Tax Reform legislation represents a bold step toward national renewal. Rather than resisting change, Nigerians should embrace reforms that modernize our economy, strengthen our sovereignty, and align our laws with our cultural and developmental aspirations.  

@ Okoi Obono-Obla