Tinubu to Sign Four Major Tax Bills into Law Thursday
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheduled to sign four significant tax reform bills into law on Thursday, marking a major step in his administration’s drive to modernize Nigeria’s fiscal framework, boost government revenue, and improve the ease of doing business.
The bills, which were passed by the National Assembly earlier this year, aim to harmonize, streamline, and strengthen tax administration across all levels of government.
They represent a key component of Tinubu’s broader economic strategy to reduce the country’s dependence on oil revenues and external borrowing, while expanding the tax-to-GDP ratio that currently lags behind most comparable economies.
Among the bills set to be signed into law is the Nigeria Tax Reform (Ease of Doing Business) Bill, which seeks to consolidate the country’s fragmented tax statutes and reduce the compliance burden on businesses.
The legislation is expected to address the long-standing issue of multiple taxation, a major deterrent to investment and formal business operations in Nigeria.
Another bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, aims to establish a unified legal and institutional framework for the effective and consistent administration of taxes at the federal, state, and local levels.
This is intended to reduce overlap among tax authorities and improve coordination and efficiency in revenue collection.
Also slated for presidential assent is the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, which repeals the existing Federal Inland Revenue Service Act.
In its place, it establishes a new autonomous Nigeria Revenue Service with an expanded mandate that includes the administration of both tax and non-tax revenues.
The new service is expected to introduce a performance-based structure, emphasizing accountability, transparency, and efficiency in revenue administration.
The fourth bill, the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, provides for the creation of a permanent intergovernmental structure for coordinating revenue collection efforts across Nigeria’s three tiers of government.
It also introduces a Tax Appeal Tribunal and the Office of the Tax Ombudsman, both designed to enhance transparency and provide dispute resolution mechanisms for taxpayers.
The signing ceremony will be held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and is expected to be attended by key government figures, including the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minister of Finance Wale Edun, the Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, and representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
Tinubu’s decision to fast-track these reforms comes as the government faces growing pressure to stabilize public finances, improve fiscal responsibility, and create a business environment more conducive to investment and job creation.
The administration has emphasized that the reforms are not just about raising revenues but about simplifying and modernizing the country’s entire tax ecosystem.
The move also aligns with Nigeria’s ambition to raise its tax-to-GDP ratio from its current level of around 10 to 11 percent to closer to 18 percent, a target set by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The Tinubu administration believes the reforms will help plug revenue leakages, minimize corruption in tax administration, and create a more transparent system that encourages voluntary compliance among citizens and businesses.
While the bills have been largely welcomed by economic experts and private sector stakeholders, concerns remain over how effectively the new structures will be implemented. Analysts have noted that success will depend not only on legal reforms but also on institutional capacity, stakeholder cooperation, and sustained political will.
With the president’s signature expected to formalize the bills into law on Thursday, Nigeria stands at the threshold of a new era in public finance—one that, if well executed, could reshape the country’s fiscal trajectory for years to come.
