Abuja – The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has disclosed that he has received threats to his life over his role in driving Nigeria’s sweeping tax reforms.
Oyedele spoke during a governance colloquium in Abuja on Tuesday, organized to mark the 50th birthday of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hajiya Hadiza Bala-Usman.
“Reforms are hard, and tax reforms are even harder. You need courage. I receive threats simply for trying to fix a broken system,” Oyedele said, noting that pushing changes that challenge entrenched interests requires exceptional bravery.
Highlighting key obstacles to reform, he pointed to deep-seated mistrust of government, weak tax compliance culture, and limited public understanding of fiscal exchange. He added that Nigeria’s tax revenue remains far below that of comparable nations, making comprehensive reforms unavoidable.
Oyedele urged Nigerians who support the reforms to speak up, warning that silence allows opponents to dominate public discourse. He emphasized that many misunderstand the measures, wrongly assuming new taxes are being introduced, when existing levies are actually being reduced and harmonized.
“Trust is the most critical challenge. There is suddenly a national awareness, and people say the government has brought taxes all over the place, when in fact what we are doing is reducing the taxes they have been paying and harmonizing them,” he explained.
Acknowledging the risks involved, Oyedele said implementing the reforms carries significant political, economic, and reputational consequences. “You need the courage to push through. You need the courage to take risks, because it’s very risky,” he stated.
Despite facing online abuse and personal threats, Oyedele defended the new approach, likening past efforts to temporary pain relief. “What we have been doing all my adult life with the tax system was a pain reliever. It hasn’t taken us far. Now we’re doing the surgery. It will come with pain, but it is the only right thing to do,” he said.
He expressed optimism about Nigeria’s fiscal future, describing the current reform momentum as unprecedented and calling on citizens to remain committed to long-term stability.
The federal government commenced enforcement of the new tax regime on January 1, 2026, introducing four major laws: the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025, and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act 2025.
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