Ex-Guber Aspirant Tackles FG over New Tax Laws

Ibrahim Oyewale in LokojaA former governorship aspirant in Kogi State, Grace Adejoh, has berated the federal government over the new tax laws in Nigeria, arguing that expanding taxation before creating robust economic opportunities risks further impoverishing the citizenry.Adejoh, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, explained that taxation is a legitimate instrument of development in any working economy.“In countries where citizens are productively employed and able to meet basic needs, paying taxes is a civic duty that supports national progress. In Nigeria today, however, this ideal remains elusive.“According to projections based on World Bank data, about 61 per cent of Nigerians—an estimated 139 million people—are expected to be living below the national poverty line by 2025. This figure reflects a dramatic deterioration in household welfare in recent years, with poverty rising sharply as labour incomes fail to keep pace with inflation. “Nigeria’s GDP per capita remains extremely low, estimated at about USD 807 in 2025, placing the country among the poorest globally despite its vast population and economic potential. “Unemployment figures present another troubling dimension. While official data show the unemployment rate declined to roughly 4.3 per cent in Q2 2024, this headline figure masks the reality that most Nigerians work in informal or low-income jobs with little stability or social protection.“In this context, expanding taxation before creating robust economic opportunities risks further impoverishing the citizenry. When families struggle daily with hunger, job insecurity, and rising household costs, taxation becomes a burden rather than a shared civic responsibility.“A people-centred government must sequence its policies correctly. Before expanding the tax net, it must expand opportunity. Job creation, investment in small and medium-sized enterprises, reliable power supply, and reduction in the cost of living are prerequisites for a sustainable tax system.“Equally vital is transparency and accountability in public spending. Persistent governance failures and waste continue to erode public confidence in how tax proceeds are used. When citizens see their contributions translated into improved public services—healthcare, education, roads, security—they are more willing to comply with tax obligations.“Nigeria does not lack potential revenue; it suffers from weak economic inclusion and inefficient public spending. Taxation should be a reward for productivity, not a penalty for poverty.“Until millions of Nigerians experience real economic stability, demanding higher tax contributions from them will deepen hardship and stoke public resentment. The solution lies not in taxing hunger, but in creating prosperity.”