A member of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Prof. Muritala Awodun, has stated that the proposed tax reform bills will enhance revenue generation by federating states and accelerate Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Awodun emphasized that the reforms are designed to stimulate economic growth and address the setbacks caused by past administrations.
He highlighted that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is focused on steering the nation back on track after years of economic mismanagement.
Awodun criticized previous governments, including the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, for policies that drove the economy backward, resulting in mounting challenges. He said the cumulative harm caused by such policies is what the present administration is trying to fix through comprehensive reforms.
“Ours is a nation where the political drives the economic,” Awodun stated, lamenting the incompetence of past political leaders. He added that the reforms aim to address inefficiencies in revenue collection and reduce leakages in government finances.
Addressing concerns about the reforms affecting agencies like the Customs, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Awodun clarified that the reforms are not intended to cripple their operations. Instead, they seek to integrate revenue collection processes for better accountability.
He argued that many agencies have deviated from their core responsibilities, prioritizing revenue collection over service delivery. “Using the present arrangement encourages huge leakages and loss of government revenues in unimaginable amounts,” he said.
Awodun cited his experience in reforming the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service between 2015 and 2019, where revenue administration was streamlined to improve efficiency. He urged other states to adopt similar models to optimize revenue generation.
He stressed the need for intentional and purposeful governance to achieve development, criticizing the excessive borrowing and inflated infrastructure costs under the last administration.
Awodun concluded by reiterating that the reforms will help reposition the economy, improve transparency, and ensure government agencies focus on service delivery rather than revenue exploitation.