Experts Advocate Accountable Governance as Africa Adopts Digital Tax Systems

Technology and public sector leaders at the Great CIO and C-Suite Project Africa conference have urged African governments to strengthen governance structures and expand digital infrastructure as the continent accelerates its shift toward technology-driven tax administration.

Speaking at the event in Lagos, the Executive Chairman of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service, Ayodele Subair, said Africa’s fiscal future now depends on the ability of regulators to adapt to an economy increasingly shaped by e-commerce, fintech, virtual assets and cross-border digital services.

He noted that the issue before policymakers was no longer whether to digitise operations but how to implement systems that can govern a digital-first economy.

Subair added that although technology offers new opportunities for tax and compliance and revenue mobilisation, digital tools alone cannot shape effective fiscal policy.

He warned that governments must adopt models that promote inclusion while expanding the tax base, saying the digital shift should not deepen existing inequalities.

The convener of the conference, Abiola Laseinde, said the event combined discussions on digital tax reforms with awards recognising digital transformation leaders across Africa.

She explained that the tax session was intended to help professionals understand emerging regulatory structures as governments adopt more technology-based systems.

Laseinde noted that Nigeria has become a major technology hub, hosting four of the continent’s five largest unicorns, a development she attributed to sustained public-sector and private-sector investment.

She cautioned, however, that the country still lacks the foundational infrastructure required to fully deploy artificial intelligence, stressing the need for deliberate planning to support future innovation.