Global digital service providers like Facebook, Amazon, and Netflix paid more than N600 billion Value Added Tax to the Nigerian government.

The Special Adviser on Tax Policy to the Chairman of the Tax Reforms Committee, Mr Mathew Osanekwu, disclosed this during a workshop for media practitioners in Abuja on Wednesday.

He explained that amendments to the VAT Act had empowered the Federal Inland Revenue Service to bring non-resident companies offering services in Nigeria into the tax net.

“These are not Nigerian entities, but they are now paying VAT under Section 10 of the VAT Act.

They are registered in Nigeria and are also appointed as agents of collection,” Osanekwu stated during a workshop for media practitioners in Abuja on Wednesday.

He stressed that the move aligns with global best practices and ensures Nigeria benefits from taxes on services consumed locally but delivered by foreign companies.

• President Bola Tinubu

The Federal Government has published Nigeria’s new tax reform laws in the official gazette following President Bola Tinubu’s assent on June 26.

The announcement was contained in a statement signed by the Personal Assistant on Special Duties to the President, Kamorudeen Yusuf, on Wednesday.

The reforms introduce four legislations: the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2025, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act 2025.

The gazette stated, “Small businesses with turnover under ₦100m and assets below ₦250m are exempted from corporate tax.

“Corporate tax rate for large firms may be cut from 30% to 25% at the President’s discretion.

“Top-up tax thresholds: ₦50bn (local firms) and €750m (multinationals).“5% annual tax credit was introduced for eligible priority-sector projects.

“Companies transacting in foreign currency may now pay taxes in naira at official exchange rates.”The Nigeria Tax Act and the Nigeria Tax Administration Act will take effect from January 1, 2026, while the Nigeria Revenue Service Act and the Joint Revenue Board Act became effective from June 26.

“These reforms aim to simplify Nigeria’s tax system, support small businesses, attract investment, and strengthen fiscal stability, aligning with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to diversify revenue away from oil,” said the statement.

… As PTD Passes Vote of No Confidence on NUPENG Leaders

The Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP) has levelled serious allegations against the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), accusing it of extortion and excessive levy collections within the downstream petroleum sector.

In a statement released on Monday in Abuja, ADITOP’s National President, Alhaji Lawal Dan-zaki, strongly dissociated the association from the purported strike action by NUPENG, declaring that ADITOP was originally established to counter what he described as the “excesses” of NUPENG, Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), and other groups allegedly collecting illegal levies under NUPENG’s cover.

Dan-zaki alleged that for the past five years, ADITOP had submitted several petitions to top government agencies—including the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation—accusing NUPENG of extortion and illegal financial practices.

According to him, NUPENG and its affiliates impose unauthorized levies on petroleum product distributors, including a charge of ₦1 per litre on every product loaded at depots, and an additional ₦1 per litre by marketers, alongside loading fees ranging between ₦80,000 and ₦100,000 per truck.

“This is outright extortion and economic sabotage by NUPENG, PTD, and their affiliated unions and associations,” Dan-zaki stated.

The allegations surfaced just days after the Lagos Zone of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG passed a vote of no confidence on the union’s national leadership. The vote targeted NUPENG National President, Comrade (Prince) Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, accusing them of “greed, impunity, manipulation, and gross incompetence.”

The internal dissent follows rising tensions over reported resistance by Dangote Refinery and MRS Holdings Limited to unionize their drivers and the rollout of 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks for nationwide fuel distribution.

Dan-zaki concluded that while NUPENG continues to feed off these alleged illegal levies, it remits no tax revenue to the federal government, further exacerbating challenges in the downstream sector.