‘I Get Death Threats for Fixing Nigeria’s Tax System’ — Oyedele Opens Up on Reform Risks

The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has revealed that his involvement in implementing Nigeria’s far-reaching tax reforms has exposed him to threats against his life.
Oyedele disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday while speaking at a governance colloquium organised to mark the 50th birthday of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hajiya Hadiza Bala-Usman.
According to him, driving reforms that challenge entrenched interests in a system long resistant to change requires unusual courage and personal sacrifice.
“Reforms are hard, and tax reforms are even harder. You need courage. I receive threats simply for trying to fix a broken system,” Oyedele said, as reported by Vanguard.
He identified deep-rooted mistrust of government, weak tax compliance culture, and poor public understanding of fiscal responsibility as some of the major hurdles confronting the reform process.
Oyedele noted that Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio remains significantly lower than that of comparable economies, making comprehensive reforms unavoidable if the country must achieve sustainable development.
He urged Nigerians who understand and support the reforms to actively speak out, warning that silence allows misinformation and opposition narratives to dominate public discourse.
According to him, one of the biggest challenges has been public misunderstanding of the reforms, with many Nigerians wrongly believing that new taxes are being imposed.
“There is suddenly a national awareness, and people say the government has brought taxes all over the place, when in fact what we are doing is reducing the taxes they have been paying and harmonising them,” he explained.
Oyedele stressed that implementing the reforms carries enormous political, economic and reputational risks.
“You need the courage to push through. You need the courage to take risks, because it’s very risky,” he said.
Despite facing online abuse and personal threats, the tax reform chairman defended the strategy, describing previous approaches to Nigeria’s tax system as ineffective short-term solutions.
“What we have been doing all my adult life with the tax system was a pain reliever. It hasn’t taken us far. Now we’re doing the surgery. It will come with pain, but it is the only right thing to do,” he said.
Oyedele expressed optimism about Nigeria’s future, describing the current reform drive as unprecedented and urging citizens to remain committed to the long-term goal of fiscal stability.
The Federal Government began enforcement of the new tax regime on January 1, 2026, following the enactment of four major laws: the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act 2025.