Tax Reforms: Expectations High of Professionals, Regulators to Drive Public Trust

Omolabake Fasogbon

The success of the new tax reforms has been hinged  on the conduct and competence of tax professionals and regulators.

This was the consensus at the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN)’s 2025 Annual Dinner and Awards in Lagos, where high-profile government officials and industry leaders converged.

The event’s discussions, steered by the theme of national fiscal transformation,  positioned ethics, technical competence, and public acceptance as the non-negotiable pillars for building a sustainable tax system.

In his opening address, the 17th President and Chairman of Council, CITN, Mr. Innocent Ohagwa charged tax professionals on strict ethical conduct, as the nation enters a critical phase of fiscal transformation.

‘’Professionals must actively strengthen their ethical standards and technical competence to earn and maintain the public’s confidence”,he stressed.

On the award initiative, Ohagwa said it was the Institute’s tradition of celebrating excellence, noting that the award recipients were being honoured as key contributors to national development.

Also, Chairman of the event/ former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode expressed confidence in the new tax law, stressing the centrality of technology and data in modern revenue generation.

He also lauded the idea of harmonising tax policy and enforcement across federal, state and local governments, noting it would  significantly reduce overlaps and improve efficiency across different tiers of government.

He welcomed the newly enacted Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act 2025, and further charged relevant agencies to  do more in engaging the public than informing them.

“Reforms fail when government focuses on informing rather than engaging. Tax professionals are the best advocates to communicate, clarify and champion these reforms. No matter how good a reform is on paper, it will not work if it lacks public acceptance”, he said

The former governor urged federal government to formally engage CITN and its members as key partners in public communication around the  tax changes expected to take effect from January 1, 2026.

Governor of Sokoto State, Dr. Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, who was one of the merit award recipients, reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to deepen collaboration with CITN.

He stated that the recognition was a further motivation for service.