KEY POINTS

• The Tax Reform Committee denied claims that Taiwo Oyedele admitted errors in Nigeria’s new tax laws, calling reports misleading.
• Officials say his remarks were misinterpreted and referred only to normal legislative processes, not flaws in the laws.
• The government highlighted early gains, including increased tax registration and expanded compliance, as reforms continue.

The Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee has dismissed reports claiming that Taiwo Oyedele admitted errors in Nigeria’s newly introduced tax laws, describing such claims as misleading and inaccurate.

In a statement released via Oyedele’s official communication channels, the Committee said recent media reports distorted his remarks and created a false impression about the integrity of the tax reform framework.

According to the Committee, some publications incorrectly suggested that Oyedele acknowledged faults in the new tax regime and advised Nigerians to await the outcome of a legislative probe.

The Committee clarified that no such admission was made, stressing that the legislative process for the tax laws had already been concluded, with certified versions published since January 2026.

It warned that such misinterpretations risk confusing the public and undermining confidence in ongoing fiscal reforms.

Clarification on remarks about reform process

The controversy followed earlier comments in which discrepancies were attributed to the law-making process, including manual procedures and multiple stages of review.

However, the Committee maintained that these observations were not an admission of errors in the tax laws themselves but rather a general acknowledgment that reforms typically undergo continuous refinement.

Oyedele had made the remarks while speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 conference, where he explained the objectives behind the reforms.

During the event, Oyedele highlighted structural issues in Nigeria’s previous tax system, noting disparities between individual and corporate tax burdens.

He explained that under the old system, individuals often paid lower effective tax rates compared to businesses, a situation he said contradicted global best practices.

The reforms, he added, are designed to create a fairer system, improve compliance, and encourage business formalisation.