Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Taiwo Oyedele has disclosed that he faces threats to his life following the implementation of Nigeria’s new tax reforms.
Mr Oyedele made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday, during a governance colloquium organised to mark the 50th birthday of the special adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU), Hadiza Bala-Usman.
He said tax reforms were difficult because they affected vested interests and were compounded by low public trust in government, weak tax culture and limited understanding of fiscal exchange.
“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.
He noted that Nigeria’s tax revenue remained low compared to peer countries, making reforms necessary.
He urged Nigerians who understood and supported the reforms to speak publicly, warning that silence allowed opposing narratives to dominate public discourse.
The federal government commenced the implementation of the new tax laws on January 1.
The laws include 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.
Taiwo Oyedele said trust remained a major challenge to the reform process, adding that many citizens believed new taxes were being introduced when existing levies were being reduced and harmonised.
