News
President Tinubu sets up tax reforms committee, appoints Oyedele chairman
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, while appointing the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, as committee chairman.
The development comes barely 24 hours after the President signed four Executive Orders, suspending the five per cent excise tax on telecommunication services and the excise duties escalation on locally-manufactured vehicles.
According to the President, the committee “Will comprise experts from both the private and public sectors and have responsibility for the various aspects of tax law reform, fiscal policy design and coordination, harmonisation of taxes, and revenue administration,” a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake, read on Friday.
According to the statement titled ‘President Tinubu sets up committee on tax reforms,’ the committee’s primary objective is to enhance revenue collection efficiency and ensure transparent reporting.
It will also promote the effective utilisation of tax and other revenues to boost citizens’ tax morale, foster a healthy tax culture, and drive voluntary compliance.
Alake cited earlier remarks by the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, Mr Zaccheus Adedeji, who explained that Tinubu recognises the importance of a sound fiscal policy environment and an effective taxation system for the functioning of the government and the economy.
According to Adedeji, “Nigeria ranks very low on the global ease of paying taxes while the country’s Tax to GDP ratio is one of the lowest in the world and well below the African average.
“This has led to an overreliance on borrowing to finance public spending, which in turn limits the fiscal space as debt service costs consume a greater portion of government revenue, annually resulting in a vicious cycle of inadequate funding for socio-economic development.
“While some incremental progress has been recorded over the years, the outcomes have not been transformative enough to change the narrative,” he said.
Adedeji outlined the key challenges in Nigeria’s tax system, including multiple taxes and revenue collection agencies, fragmented and complex tax system, low tax morale, high prevalence of tax evasion, high cost of revenue administration, lack of coordination between fiscal and economic policies, and poor accountability in the utilisation of tax revenue.
Adedeji explained that the administration hopes to transform the tax system to support sustainable development and achieve a minimum of 18 per cent Tax to GDP ratio within three years without stifling investment or economic growth.
“It should be noted that this committee will not only advise the government on necessary reforms but will also drive the implementation of such recommendations in support of the comprehensive fiscal policy and tax reform agenda of the current administration,” the SA on Revenue added.
Oyedele, who chairs the committee, is the Thematic Lead for the Fiscal Policy & Planning Commission and Chairman of the West Africa Debt Management Roundtable of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.
He also heads the Taxation & Fiscal Policy Faculty Board of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and is a member of the Nigerian Taxation Standards Board.
Oyedele serves as a member of the Ministerial Committee on implementing Nigeria’s National Tax Policy. He is a member of the Global Tax Forum and has previously served as a member of the Global Governing Council of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Oyedele, an Associate Professor at the Babcock University Business School, is an alumnus of the London School of Economics & Political Science, Yale University, and Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education.
He is also a guest lecturer at the Lagos Business School and the Founder and President of Impact Africa Foundation.
Reports are coming in of multiple accidents which occurred on Thursday evening, November 13th on the Karu Bridge in Abuja.
Details of the accident are still emerging, but a video posted on X, shows cars in flames while eyewitnesses calls for fire fighters to put out the engulfing inferno.
Authorities are likely on the scene, and further information will be provided as it becomes available.
Motorists are advised to exercise extreme caution when approaching the area and to consider alternative routes if possible.
Video ccredit.
Robert Mugabe Junior, 33, the son of late former president Robert Mugabe, has been found guilty of illegal possession of drugs by the Harare Magistrates Court. Magistrate Lisa Mutendereki delivered the ruling on Thursday, 13 November 2025.
Mugabe pleaded guilty to possessing two grams of dagga, admitting the offence in open court. During proceedings, he appealed to the court for leniency, revealing that he is a single father of two.
“I am a single father raising two children. I ask the court to be lenient with me,” he said.
Sentencing is scheduled for later Thursday afternoon.
Found With Dagga During Traffic Stop
The case stems from a traffic stop on 1 October 2025, when police intercepted Mugabe’s silver Honda Fit in central Harare. Officers discovered a small quantity of dagga in his bag.
Prosecutor Mandirasa Chigumira told the court the search uncovered:
- Two sachets of dagga
- One pack of Rizla rolling papers
- A white dagga crusher
The total haul weighed two grams, with an estimated street value of US$30 (R550). Chigumira also noted that Mugabe had initially refused to sign the seizure receipt issued by police.
Previous Court Appearance and Bail
Mugabe first appeared in court on 2 October 2025 and spent two nights in custody before being granted bail of US$300 (R5,500). Magistrate Mutendereki ordered him to report weekly to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and remain at his registered address until the case concluded.
The trial has attracted widespread attention on social media, with public reactions divided over his conviction.
Police Allegations of Wider Syndicate
Earlier, the Zimbabwe Republic Police suggested Mugabe might be connected to a larger drug network. Commissioner Paul Nyathi told reporters on 2 October 2025 that authorities had recovered 25 sachets of Indo hybrid dagga and six ecstasy pills linked to a syndicate allegedly involving Phillip Munetsi Chiyangwa, Mitchel Jackson, Simbarashe Kaseke, Wellington Icube, and Tanaka Kashamba.
However, prosecutors focused solely on Mugabe’s personal possession charge in court, leaving the wider syndicate allegations unaddressed.
History of Legal Trouble
This is not Mugabe Junior’s first legal issue. In February 2023, he was arrested for allegedly damaging property at a party in Harare. That case was later dropped following compensation. His lawyer, Ashiel Mugiya, who represented him in 2023, again defended him in this case, saying:
“He accepts responsibility for what happened and has cooperated with the authorities.”
Mugabe is expected back in court Thursday afternoon for sentencing, when Magistrate Mutendereki will determine his punishment.
The Nigerian government has suspended the planned 15 per cent import duty on premium motor spirit (PMS) and automotive gas oil (diesel). The announcement was made by George Ene-Ita, spokesperson for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), in a statement on Thursday.
The regulator urged Nigerians to avoid panic buying, assuring that there is adequate supply of petroleum products nationwide.
“It should also be noted that the implementation of the 15 percent ad valorem import duty on imported premium motor spirit and diesel is no longer in view,” NMDPRA stated.
The statement added that both domestic and imported supplies of petrol, diesel, and other petroleum products are sufficient to meet demand, especially during the peak period. The authority warned against hoarding, panic buying, or unwarranted price increases, and affirmed that it would continue to monitor supply and distribution closely.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the 15 per cent import duty last month to encourage the use of products from Dangote Refinery. While some stakeholders supported the move as a boost for local refining, critics argued it could increase fuel prices and worsen economic hardship for Nigerians.
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