Tax Community Honours Late CITN  Pioneer President Olorunleke, Vows to Uphold Legacy

Omolabake Fasogbon

Tributes poured in for the pioneer President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and former Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS),  late Chief David Ajibola Olorunleke,  as dignitaries and family gathered for his Service of Song in Lagos, recently.

The solemn ceremony highlighted Olorunleke’s transformative impact on Nigeria’s public service, with key industry leaders in attendance.

Olorunleke died on October 24, 2025. He was aged 87.

Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Mr. Ayodele Subair described Olorunleke as the Doyen of Taxation and the foundational mind behind the country’s contemporary tax structures.

Subair  revealed the vision behind the creation of CITN, noting that late Olorunleke developed the institute to stem the tide of chartered accountants leaving the service for better opportunities in the private sector.

“He developed a system where anybody that is interested in tax administration can go and learn tax in CITN, be a chartered tax administrator, then you can stay as a tax administrator. This is what brought about him developing CITN and made it his baby.

“For us at LIRS, many of our values are rooted in his teachings. As we celebrate his life, we recommit ourselves to professionalism, integrity, and devoted public service,” he added.

Also in his tribute, the deceased first son, Mr. Femi Olorunleke expressed appreciation to CITN for honouring his father whom he said  lived for service, discipline, and capacity building.

Olorunleke described the deceased as the master of tax administration, crediting him with leading the transition from a British colonial tax model to one adapted for Nigeria.

He recounted how Olorunleke, concerned that newly qualified accountants routinely left the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for private-sector jobs, conceived the idea of training dedicated tax professionals, a vision that birthed CITN.

“He wanted people who would specialise in tax and remain in the sector. That was how the Institute emerged,” he said.

CITN President, Mr. Innocent Ohagwa, described the late pioneer president as an exceptional professional whose influence remains central to the Institute’s identity.

“His legacy echoes through the corridors of taxation practice in Nigeria. We have lost a founder, a pathfinder and a trailblazer. CITN’s over 33,000 members are beneficiaries of the system Olorunleke built”, he informed.