Tinubu Tax Reforms: Oyedele Says Tax Evaders Behind Opposition

Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, has alleged that much of the resistance to President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform agenda is coming from individuals who have accumulated wealth over the years without paying taxes.

Oyedele made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking at the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s January 2026 Business Breakfast, where he addressed concerns surrounding the government’s fiscal reforms.

According to him, many critics of the new tax laws are deliberately silent about their true motives.

“People attacking these reforms rarely explain their reasons,” Oyedele said. “The truth is that some of them have made money for decades and never paid taxes. Once you introduce a system where no one is above the law, resistance is inevitable.”

He acknowledged that taxation is generally unpopular across the world but insisted that Nigeria cannot afford to sacrifice its long-term stability for short-term comfort.

“Paying tax is never easy anywhere,” he added. “But we cannot compromise the future of this country. What is at stake goes beyond individual interests.”

Oyedele also highlighted the gap between Nigeria’s tax earnings and those of South Africa, noting that despite having a smaller population, South Africa generates far more revenue from personal income tax.

“In 2024, South Africa raised over ₦60 trillion in personal income tax alone,” he said. “That figure exceeds what Nigeria earned from all taxes combined including corporate, investment, federal, state and local government revenues.”

While acknowledging South Africa’s higher per-capita income, Oyedele argued that Nigeria still has the capacity to match such performance if high-earning citizens are properly captured within the tax system.

“If you isolate the top 60 million income earners in Nigeria, their earnings would be comparable to South Africa’s average income level,” he stated.