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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.
President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The ceremony followed the Senate’s confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment last week after a rigorous screening session on October 16.
At the swearing-in, President Tinubu tasked Amupitan with safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and strengthening INEC’s institutional capacity.
“As the chairman of INEC, your nomination and confirmation reflect the confidence reposed in you by both the executive and legislative arms of government. This marks the start of a challenging yet rewarding journey, and I trust you will approach your duties with integrity, dedication, and patriotism,” Tinubu said.
Highlighting Nigeria’s democratic progress over 25 years, the President emphasized the need for continuous innovation and reform to maintain free, fair, and credible elections. He urged Amupitan to ensure transparency and public trust throughout the entire electoral process—from voter registration and campaigning to voting and counting.
Amupitan, a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), arrived at the State House on Thursday dressed in traditional white agbada and gold cap ahead of the formal ceremony. He was accompanied by presidential aides.
During his Senate screening, the 58-year-old nominee pledged to restore credibility to Nigeria’s electoral process by prioritizing reforms, including strengthening the Electoral Act to resolve inconsistencies in election timelines and enhance transparency.
“We must conduct elections where even the loser congratulates the winner fairly,” Amupitan told senators, emphasizing the need to rebuild voter confidence.
He also clarified his neutrality by denying any involvement in President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court, stating, “I never appeared before the Presidential Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court for any party.”
Amupitan succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the sixth substantive INEC chairman since the commission’s establishment. He is expected to immediately begin the transition process at INEC headquarters in Abuja following his swearing-in.
Profile
Born on April 25, 1967, the 58-year-old Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State. He is also an alumnus of the university.
He specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2014.
After completing primary and secondary education, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, from 1982 to 1984, and the University of Jos from 1984 to 1987. He was called to the bar in 1988.
Amupitan earned an LLM at UNIJOS in 1993 and a PhD in 2007, amid an academic career that began in 1989, following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation in Bauchi from 1988 to 1989.
He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, a position he holds in conjunction with being the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
Among the academic positions he has held at UNIJOS are: Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012-2014); Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008-2014); and Head of Public Law (2006-2008).
Outside of academics, Amupitan serves as a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and a member of the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014), among other roles. He was a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja(1996-2004).
Amupitan is the author of many books on law, such as Corporate Governance: Models and Principles(2008); Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008); Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria(2013), Principles of Company Law(2013) and an Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).
He is married and has four children.
Dangote Group has denied owning the truck that crushed a pregnant woman, a child, and six others to death in an accident in Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The company issued the clarification in a statement on its X account on Wednesday.
The statement followed reports that a cement-laden truck suffered brake failure and rammed into traders and other road users.
Reacting, Dangote Group said the truck involved in the tragic incident does not belong to the group or any of its subsidiaries.
It added that vehicle registration records confirm the truck is owned and operated by an independent logistics company with no affiliation to Dangote Group.
“Dangote Group has refuted reports circulating on social media and in some online platforms linking it to a truck involved in a road accident in Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
“The company wishes to make it categorically clear that the truck involved in the unfortunate incident does not belong to Dangote Group or any of its subsidiaries.
“Verified vehicle registration details confirm that the truck with Plate No. JJJ 365 XB is owned and operated by an independent logistics company with no affiliation to Dangote Group,” the statement reads.
News
VIDEO: Sowore Arrested at Federal High Court Premises, Abuja, After Meeting Nnamdi Kanu.
“The commissioner of police said we should bring you to the office,” the policeman said.
Police operatives have arrested former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Sowore was forcibly taken away by armed police officers from the Federal High Court premises in Abuja on Thursday, October 23, 2025, shortly after attending the court session of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore, who has been leading campaigns for Kanu’s release, was confronted by security operatives who insisted he accompany them to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that the officers surrounded him moments after he exited the courtroom, refusing to disclose specific details about his alleged offence.
When questioned by onlookers, one of the policemen stated that they were acting on the directive of the FCT Commissioner of Police.
“The commissioner of police said we should bring you to the office,” the policeman said.
As of the time of filing this report, the reason for Sowore’s arrest and his current whereabouts remain unclear.
Credit: Punch
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